United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending May 17, saw annual gains, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week.
Rail carloads, at 229,226, saw a 7.1% annual gain, topping the weeks ending May 10 and May 3, at 222,238, and 225,641, respectively.
AAR said that eight of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: coal, up 8,809 carloads, to 59,207; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,221 carloads, to 10,279; and grain, up 1,195 carloads, to 21,108. Commodity groups posting annual declines included: forest products, down 266 carloads, to 7,937; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 56 carloads, to 10,274.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 261,549 units, eked out a 0.3% annual gain, trailing the weeks ending May 10 and May 3, at 273,314, and 273,052, respectively.
Through the first 2o weeks of 2025, AAR reported U.S. rail carloads are up 2.2% annually, at 4,354,843. Intermodal units, at 5,437,091, are up 7.5%, for the same period. Â
