AAR reports carload and intermodal volumes are up for week ending April 8

Both United States rail carloads and intermodal volumes saw annual gains for the week ending April 8, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads were up 9.8 percent annually at 252,056, which was below the weeks ending April 1 and March 25 at 259,720 and 260,897, respectively.

The AAR said that five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2016, including coal, up 29 percent to 75,078 carloads; grain, up 26 percent to 23,778 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 7.6 percent to 37,582 carloads. Commodity groups that posted annual decreases included petroleum and petroleum products, down 15.7 percent to 10,020 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 1.4 percent to 20,941 carloads; and forest products, down 1 percent to 9,929 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers rose 4.6 percent annually to 260,966, which trailed the week ending April 1 at 267,945 and the week ending March 25 at 265,574.

On a year-to-date basis for the first 14 weeks of 2017, U.S. rail carloads are up 6 percent annually at 3,576,158, and intermodal containers and trailers are up 1.7 percent at 3,648, 646.