United States rail carload volumes, for the week ending February 6, were mixed again, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads—at 226,393—were off 2.5% annually, trailing the weeks ending January 30 and January 23, at 231,370 and 230,979, respectively.
AAR said that five of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: 5,070 carloads, to 25,951; chemicals, up 909 carloads, to 33,581; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 551 carloads, to 16,801. Commodity groups with annual declines included coal, down 4,936 carloads, to 60,071; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,530 carloads, to 24,821; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,546 carloads, to 9,321.
Intermodal trailers and containers—at 269,422—saw a 2.2% annual gain, trailing the weeks ending January 30 and January 23, at 289,323 and 298,951, respectively.
Through the first five weeks of 2020, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 1,156,696—are off 2.2% compared to the same period a year ago, with intermodal units—at 1,442,642—up 11%.