AAR reports U.S. carload and intermodal declines for second week of 2020

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines for the week ending January 11, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 239,119—were down 10.1% annually topping the week ending January 4 at 215,564 and the week ending December 28, at 191,590, which was likely impacted by the Christmas holiday.

AAR reported three of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: chemicals, up 848 carloads, to 33,764; miscellaneous carloads, up 765 carloads, to 10,671; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 388 carloads, to 14,303. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 16,224 carloads, to 70,831; grain, down 6,385 carloads, to 18,304; and metallic ores and metals, down 3,333 carloads, to 21,059.

Intermodal trailers and containers—at 262,505 units—slipped 9.1%, topping the week ending January 4 at 198,450 and the week ending December 28 at 182,138.

Through the first two weeks of 2020, U.S. rail carloads—at 454,683—are down 6.8% annually, and intermodal units—at 460,955—are down 8.4%.