U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes eke out slight annual gains for week ending November 10

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes each saw annual gains for the week ending November 10.

Rail carloads, at 281,675, eked out a 0.1% annual increase, and were ahead of the week ending November 3 at 270, 305 and the week ending October 27 at 268,535.

AAR said that five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted annual increases, including: petroleum and petroleum products, up 3,044 carloads, to 13,352; miscellaneous carloads, up 2,081 carloads, to 11,795; and chemicals, up 800 carloads, to 31,431. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,858 carloads, to 32,970; grain, down 1,471 carloads, to 21,389; and coal, down 628 carloads, to 84,532.

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 285,361, rose 2.6% compared to the same week last year, and trailed the week ending November 3 at 289,741 and the week ending October 27 at 294,269.

Through the first 45 weeks of 2018, U.S. carloads are up 1.8% annually at 11,848,471, and intermodal units are up 5.7% at 12,561,279.