United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were up annually for the week ending May 19, according to data issued by the Association of American Railroads earlier this week.
Carloads increased 1.2% annually to 261,273, which edged out the week ending May 12 at 267,196 and the week ending May 5 at 265,653,.
AAR reported that six of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks were up annually, including included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,518 carloads, to 40,836; chemicals, up 1,440 carloads, to 31,862; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 986 carloads, to 10,655. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included grain, down 1,656 carloads, to 22,225; motor vehicles and parts, down 778 carloads, to 17,006; and coal, down 371 carloads, to 78,519.
Intermodal containers and trailers were up 5.9% annually to 285,142, which was ahead of the weeks ending May 12 and May 5 at 282,833 and 280,374, respectively.
On a year-to-date basis through the first 20 weeks of 2018, U.S. carloads are up 1.1% annually at 5,141,257, and intermodal units are up 5.9% at 5,443,730.