AAR reports mixed volumes for week ending March 17

Rail volumes were again mixed for the week ending March 17, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Carload volume—at 278,420—was down 5.3 percent annually and slightly below the week ending March 10 at 278,728 and also below the week ending March 3 at 283,312.

Eastern carloads were down 4.9 percent, and out west carloads were down 5.5 percent.

Intermodal volumes—at 227,138 trailers and containers—was up 2 percent annually and ahead of the weeks ending March 10 at 226,039 and behind the week ending March 3 at 227,256.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 11 were up annually. Petroleum products were up 32 percent, and motor vehicles and equipment were up 15.5 percent. Farm products excluding grain were down 21.9 percent and coal was down 14.7 percent.

Carloads for the first 11 weeks of 2012—at 3,112,940—were down 1.8 percent compared to the first 11 weeks of 2011, and intermodal was up 2.3 percent at 2,226,134 trailers and containers.

Estimated ton-miles for the week at 31.8 billion were down 4.2 percent, and for the year-to-date it was down 0.8 percent at 354.4 billion.