United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week of December 18 were mixed, according to data issued this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Rail carloads—at 234,704—are up 1.7% annually, trailing the weeks ending December 11 and December 4, at 239,029 and 255,044, respectively.
AAR observed that seven of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: nonmetallic minerals, up 4,249 carloads, to 30,089; coal, up 2,762 carloads, to 65,021; and chemicals, up 929 carloads, to 34,212. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 were motor vehicles and parts, down 3,301 carloads, to 12,468; grain, down 1,708 carloads, to 24,159; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,302 carloads, to 10,398.
