AAR reports annual carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 10

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that United States rail carload and intermodal volumes each saw annual gains for the week ending March 10.

Carloads were up 1.6% at 256,075, which was behind the week ending March 3 at 264,566 and ahead of the week ending February 24 at 251,970.

AAR said that six of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including coal, up 4,134 carloads, to 83,696; chemicals, up 2,089 carloads, to 32,884; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 829 carloads, to 16,882. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included motor vehicles and parts, down 1,573 carloads, to 16,818; grain, down 1,253 carloads, to 22,995; and miscellaneous carloads, down 951 carloads, to 8,876.

Intermodal containers and trailers saw a 10.8% annual gain to 278,207, which was below the week ending March 3 at 279,535 and above the week ending February 24 at 276,470.

Through the first ten weeks of 2018, AAR said that U.S. carloads are down 1.6% annually at 2,501,621, and intermodal units are up 5.6% at 2,692,349.