Carload and intermodal volumes were up for the week ending September 7, according to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Carload volume—at 278,594—was up 2.2 percent annually and below the week ending August 31 at 302,026 and below the week ending August 24 at 291,889.
Intermodal was up 6.7 percent annually at 228,899 trailers and containers and below the week ending August 31 at 259,672 and the week ending August 24 at 257,080.
Total weekly traffic for carloads and intermodal units, Labor Day—at 507,493—was up 4.2 percent annually.
Of the ten main commodity groups tracked by the AAR, seven saw annual increases.
Motor vehicles and parts were up 21.9 percent. Farm and food products, excluding grain, were down 8.6 percent.
On a year-to-date basis, carloads are down 1.0 percent at 10,059,348, and intermodal is up 3.6 percent at 8,749,141 containers and trailers.