U.S. intermodal volume still outpacing carload activity

U.S. railroads' combined intermodal volume continued to surpass carload traffic in the week ending Aug. 25, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total intermodal volume rose 6 percent to 290,372 units during the week, while carloads ticked up 1.8 percent to 275,334 units compared with the same week a year ago.

Combined, U.S. rail traffic increased 3.9 percent to 565,706 carloads and intermodal units, according to an AAR press release.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2017. They included grain, up 2,184 carloads to 22,064; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,980 carloads to 11,332; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,587 carloads to 25,451.

Carloads that logged decreases compared with the same week a year ago were coal, down 5,010 carloads to 91,300; and miscellaneous carloads, down 27 carloads to 9,881.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 85,021 carloads for the week, up 3.4 percent, and 72,983 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with the same week in 2017. Mexican railroads reported 20,932 carloads for the week, down 6.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,744 intermodal units, down 4.3 percent.

For the first 34 weeks of 2018:
• U.S. railroads logged a combined 18,318,471 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.9 percent compared with last year;
• Canadian railroads posted cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,055,944 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent; and
• Mexican railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,310,756 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.