Mixed volumes remain intact according to most recent weekly AAR data

Rail carload and intermodal volumes were again mixed for the week ending April 21, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 282,262—was down 3.6 percent annually and ahead of the week ending April 14 at 276,789 and the week ending April 7 at 270,974.

Eastern carloads were up 2 percent, and out west carloads were down 7.3 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 239,276—were up 6 percent annually and ahead of the week ending April 14 at 234,157 and the week ending April 7 at 231,153.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 14 were up annually. Petroleum products were up 48.3 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment were up 32.9 percent. Coal was down 16 percent, and grain was down 18 percent.

Carloads for the first 16 weeks of 2012—at 4,509,115—were down 3.2 percent compared to the first 16 weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 2.6 percent at 3,633,031 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week at 32.1 billion were down 3.3 percent, and for the year-to-date it is down 2.4 percent at 513.0 billion.