United States rail carloads and intermodal volumes each saw annual gains for the week ending April 7, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Carloads were up 4.6% at 261,898, which was below the weeks ending March 31 and March 24 at 265,470 and 265, 756, respectively.
The AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including: coal, up 6,497 carloads, to 81,476; metallic ores and metals, up 2,427 carloads, to 23,401; and chemicals, up 2,138 carloads, to 33,694. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included motor vehicles and parts, down 759 carloads, to 17,103; nonmetallic minerals, down 587 carloads, to 35,567; and miscellaneous carloads, down 331 carloads, to 9,087.
Intermodal containers and trailers were up 3.1% at 263,007, which was below the week ending March 31 at 269,281 and ahead of the week ending March 24 at 260,765.
Through the first 14 weeks of 2018, U.S. rail carloads are up 0.1% at 3,558,097, and intermodal units are up 5.3% at 3,759,388.