U.S. rail and intermodal volumes see annual declines for week ending February 22, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were each down for the week ending February 22, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 232,869—dropped 9.3% annually, topping the weeks ending February 15 and February 8, at 227,447 and 232,116, respectively.

AAR reported that four of the ten carload commodity groups it tracks posted annual gains, including: chemicals, up 2,366 carloads, to 33,284; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,217 carloads, to 13,401; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,193 carloads, to 17,898. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 23,225 carloads, to 63,540; grain, down 2,785 carloads, to 18,909; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,628 carloads, to 29,854.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 249,821—decreased 6% compared to the same week a year ago, trailing the weeks ending February 15 and February 8, at 251,690 and 252,213, respectively.

Through the first eight weeks of 2020, AAR reported that U.S. carloads—at 1,858,165—are down 6.5% compared to the same period a year ago, and intermodal units—at 1,999,804—are down 6.2% for the same period.