August U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were mixed in August, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 898,227—were down 14.9%, or 156,797 carloads, annually. And AAR said that two of the 20 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, with grain up 4,683 carloads, or 5.6%, and farm products, excluding grain, up 168 carloads, or 5%.

When excluding coal, carloads were off 71,581 carloads, or 9.9%, and when excluding coal and grain, carloads were off 76,264 carloads, or 11.9%.

Notable annual declines included: coal, down 85,216 carloads or 25.8 percent; crushed stone, sand & gravel, down 24,961 carloads or 25 percent; and petroleum & petroleum products, down 7,128 carloads or 14.3 percent.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 1,122,954—were up 3%, or 33,115 units, annually.

On a year-to-date basis through August, U.S. rail carloads—at 7,448,257—are down 16%, or 1,423,522 carloads, and intermodal units—at 8,610,477—are off 7.7%, or 717,895 units.

“Despite the pandemic and the associated economic dislocations, an enormous amount of freight continues to move on railroads and other transportation modes,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray in a statement. “For U.S. railroads, August 2020 was the best month in terms of intermodal loadings since October 2018 and the fifth best intermodal month ever. Much of what’s inside the trailers and containers on an intermodal train ends up on the shelves of stores, or finds its way to consumers’ doors via e-commerce merchants. Railroads help ensure that consumers get what they want, when they want it.”

For the week ending August 29, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 225,703—were down 15.9%, and intermodal units—at 282,604—headed up 3.4%.