U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for week ending August 27, reports AAR

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending August 27, were mixed, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Rail carloads—at 242,633—saw a 3.4% annual gain, topping the weeks ending August 20 and August 13, at 237,404 and 237,857, respectively.

AAR said that four of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: coal, up 5,893 carloads, to 74,295; grain, up 2,224 carloads, to 19,458; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,323 carloads, to 14,624. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,228 carloads, to 9,642; metallic ores and metals, down 660 carloads, to 23,112; and forest products, down 419 carloads, to 9,834.

Intermodal containers and trailers—at 268,941—saw a slight 0.3% annual decrease, topping the weeks ending August 20 and August 13, at 26,144 and 264,924, respectively.

Through the first 34 weeks of 2022, AAR reported that U.S. rail carloads—at 7,849,281—eked out a 0.1% annual gain, and intermodal units—at 8,976,594—were off 5.3%, for the same period.