In September, there were year-over-year increases in both rail carload and intermodal volumes in the United States, according to recent data published by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
The total number of rail carloads for the month reached 921,716, reflecting a 2.3% annual growth, equivalent to 20,754 more carloads. When coal is excluded from this figure, carloads increased by 24,766 or 4.0% annually. Furthermore, when both coal and grain are excluded, carloads showed a more substantial increase of 31,417 or 5.7% compared to the previous year.
Among the 20 commodity categories tracked by AAR, 13 experienced annual gains. Notable increases were observed in motor vehicles & parts, which surged by 8,327 carloads or 15.2%. Petroleum & petroleum products saw a rise of 5,547 carloads or 16.0%, while chemicals recorded a 4.6% increase with 5,530 more carloads. Conversely, certain commodities saw annual declines, including grain, which dropped by 6,651 carloads or 9.0%, coal with a decrease of 4,012 carloads or 1.4%, and coke, down 1,062 carloads or 9.1%.
