Carload and intermodal volumes show weekly gains, says AAR

Rail carload and intermodal volumes were both up for the week ending July 14, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 286,156—was up 1.7 percent annually and ahead of the week ending July 7 at 243,156 and the week ending June 30 at 278,634. Eastern carloads were down 2.1 percent annually, and out west carloads were up 4.1 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 245,915 trailers and containers—were up 6.8 percent compared to the same week last year and were ahead of the week ending July 7 at 203,362 and the week ending June 30 at 253,497.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, ten were up annually. Petroleum products were up 39.2 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment were up 46.6 percent. Iron and steel scrap was down 25 percent, and metallic ores dropped 14 percent.

Carloads for the first 28 weeks of 2012—at 7,854,130—were down 2.6 percent compared to the first 28 weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 3.5 percent at 6,499,007 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week ending July 14 were up 2.5 percent at 33.3 billion, and were down 1.8 percent on a year-to-date basis at 895.3 billion.