United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines, for the week ending March 23, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads, at 236,817, were down 10.9% annually and below the week ending March 16 at 240,317 and slightly above the week ending March 9 at 238,104.
AAR said that two of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,233 carloads, to 12,132; and motor vehicles and parts, up 422 carloads, to 17,102. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2018 included coal, down 22,096 carloads, to 65,317; chemicals, down 3,110 carloads, to 30,682; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,327 carloads, to 19,978.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 266,200, headed up 2.1%, topping the week ending March 16 at 260,684 and trailing the week ending March 9 at 270,754.
Through the first 12 weeks of 2018, U.S. rail carloads, at 2,953,703, are down 2.5% annually, and intermodal units, at 3,208,405, are down 0.6%.