The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were up annually for the week ending June 9.
Carloads were up 2.8% to 271,641, which topped the week ending June 2 at 252,162 and trailed the week ending May 26 at 273,226.
AAR said that seven of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including metallic ores and metals, up 2,280 carloads, to 24,350; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,270 carloads, to 40,741; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,407 carloads, to 11,008. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were miscellaneous carloads, down 609 carloads, to 10,089; forest products, down 255 carloads, to 10,328; and coal, down 238 carloads, to 85,160.
Intermodal containers and trailers rose 5.6% to 289,420, which the AAR said is the second highest volume week ever for intermodal units behind the week ending May 26. This was ahead of the weeks ending June 2 and May 26, which came in at 257,578 and 292,276, respectively.
On a year-to-date basis through the first 23 weeks of 2018, U.S. carloads are up 1.3% annually at 5,938,286, and intermodal units are up 5.9% at 6,283,004.