AAR reports mixed carload and intermodal volumes for week ending October 17

Rail carload and intermodal volumes were again mixed for the week ending October 17, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads were down 5.9 percent annually at 279,547 and were below the week ending October 10 at 281,073 and the week ending October 3 at 290,725.

The AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains for the week ending October 17, with miscellaneous carloads up 15.1 percent to 9,223 carloads and motor vehicles and parts up 13.2 percent to 18,894. Petroleum and petroleum products were down 14 percent to 13,772, and metallic ores and minerals dropped 20.9 percent to 21,486.

Intermodal containers and trailers were up 1 percent annually at 275,149, which was slightly below the week ending October 10 at 275,160 and the week ending October 3 at 282,018. 

Through the first 41 weeks of 2015, AAR said that U.S. carloads are down 4.4 percent annually at 11,441,306 and intermodal units are up 2.4 percent at 10,967,576.