Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises as Carloads Drop for Fifth Week

AAR

U.S. rail intermodal traffic rose 4.3% in the week ended May 23 compared with the same week last year as carload volume declined for the fifth consecutive week, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Railroads moved 281,090 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR announced May 27 in its weekly report. The rise follows a 2.9% increase the prior week.

Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, dropped 9.1% year-over-year to 269,092 carloads. The last carload increase was the week of April 18, when volume rose 1.2%.

Three of the 10 commodity groups tracked by AAR posted an increase in traffic for the week; miscellaneous products were up 10.4%, motor vehicles and parts gained 3.3%, and petroleum and petroleum products rose 1.5%.

Intermodal volume for 13 reporting North American railroads increased 4.1% to 353,380 trailers and containers. Carload volume excluding intermodal declined 8.9% to 366,991.

Canadian railroads moved 61,100 intermodal units, a 4.1% rise. Mexican rail moved 11,190 units, a 2.8% decline from the same time last year.

Year to date, U.S. intermodal volume increased 2% to 5.24 million units.

For the first 19 weeks of the year, carloads declined 2.6% to 5.6 million from the same time last year, according to AAR.