AAR reports U.S. carload and intermodal volumes decline for week ending May 21

Rail carload and intermodal volumes in the United States for the week ending May 21 both saw declines, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carloads fell 10.6 percent at 244,290 and were ahead of the week ending May 14 at 238,353 and the week ending May 7 at 233,047.

The AAR said that 4 of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks were up compared to the same week a year ago, with miscellaneous carloads up 20.7 percent to 10,071, nonmetallic minerals up 4.7 percent to 37,326, and motor vehicles and parts up 2.1 percent to 19,067. Coal was down 28.8 percent to 66,709 and petroleum and petroleum products dropped 21.5 percent to 11,593 carloads.

Intermodal containers and trailers were off 6.5 percent at 262,693, which was ahead of the week ending May 14 at 260,026 and below the week ending May 7 at 259,876.

On a year-to-date basis through the first 20 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,803,310 carloads, down 14 percent from the same point last year; and 5,150,727 intermodal units, down 1.7 percent from last year.