AAR: U.S. freight rail traffic sees slight bump in February

Carload volumes dropped 10.1 percent in February, but intermodal shipments grew 12.9 percent compared with February 2015, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.    United States-based freight railroads in February saw their volumes rise 0.5 percent compared to February 2015, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.
   Carload traffic dropped 10.1 percent year-over-year in February to 979,042 carloads, but intermodal volumes grew 12.9 percent to 1,049,126 containers and trailers. The association noted intermodal volumes in February 2015 were severely affected by West Coast port congestion that resulted from the lengthy and contentious dockworker labor contract dispute.
   Nine of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR reported growth in February, including motor vehicles and parts, up 19.4 percent; miscellaneous carloads, up 30.6 percent; and waste and nonferrous scrap, up 15.6 percent. Commodities that posted year-over-year declines for the month included coal, down 27.3 percent; petroleum and petroleum products, down 20.8 percent; and metallic ores, down 25.3 percent.
   Excluding coal, volumes of which have plummeted in the past year amid stricter EPA regulations surrounding its use, total carload volumes grew 0.4 percent compared with February 2015.
   Total U.S. rail traffic volume for the first two months of 2016 has fallen 3.6 percent year-over-year to 4,035,831 carloads and intermodal units. Carload traffic is down 13.5 percent to 1,947,084 carloads, while intermodal containers and trailers are up 8 percent to 2,088,747 units compared with the same 2015 period.
   “The economy is still giving off a lot of mixed signals, and rail traffic is too,” AAR Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics John T. Gray said in a statement. “Coal carloads remain very troubling, intermodal is doing well, and the other rail traffic categories are somewhere in between.
   “After Saudi announcements on energy pricing late last week it is painfully evident that it will take a while for the shakeout in that sector to play itself out. Until that happens, and until it becomes clear that the disruptions abroad aren’t spreading into the domestic economy, rail traffic will remain in an uncertain environment.”