By LM Staff · July 31, 2020
United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw annual declines, for the week ending July 25, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads—at 215,171—were down 17.8% annually, topping the weeks ending July 18 and July 11, at 214,685 and 201,703, respectively.
The AAR reported that one of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw an annual gain, with farm products excluding grain and food increasing by 218 carloads, to 16,406. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2019 included coal, down 23,517 carloads, to 57,769; metallic ores and metals, down 8,690 carloads, to 15,464; and nonmetallic minerals, down 7,369 carloads, to 30,946.
Intermodal containers and trailers—at 266,160—fell 2.4%, trailing the week of July 18, at 266,912, and topping the week ending July 11, at 247,389.
On a year-to-date basis through the first 30 weeks of 2019, U.S. rail carloads—at 6,332,339—were off 16.1% annually, and intermodal units—at 7,217,246—were off 9.4%.
July 31, 2020