Carload and intermodal volumes are up for week ending July 5, reports AAR

Carload and intermodal volumes continue to show growth, based on data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

For the week ending July 5, carload volumes were up 9.4 percent annually at 270,731 carloads. This was behind the weeks ending June 28 and June 21, which reached 298,457 and 291,142, respectively. Traffic for the week ending July 5 was likely impacted by the July 4 holiday. 

The AAR reported that weekly intermodal volume was up 10.5 percent at 227,097 containers and trailers, which was less than the 264,766 recorded during the week ending June 28 and 272,553 from the week ending June 21.

Each of the ten carload commodities tracked by the AAR were up annually for the week ending July 5. Motor vehicles and parts were up 53.7 percent, and grain was up 21.7 percent. 

For the first 27 weeks of 2014, carloads are up 3.4 percent annually at 7,719,025 and intermodal is up 6.1 percent at 6,869,537 trailers and containers.