AAR: INTERMODAL, CARLOAD TRAFFIC CONTINUE TO FALL

AAR: INTERMODAL, CARLOAD TRAFFIC CONTINUE TO FALL    U.S. rail intermodal and carload traffic both fell 3.6 percent in July, compared with year-earlier results, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
   Intermodal trailers and containers fell 24,721 units to just over 660,000. Carloads declined 47,009 units to about 1.26 million.
   Coal carloads were down for the first time this year, dropping 0.5 percent. Metallic ores were down 27.5 percent, chemicals were down 6.6 percent and nonmetallic minerals were down 22.3 percent.
   For the year to date, U.S. rail car loadings totaled 9.9 million cars, down 1.3 percent. Intermodal volume totaled 5.0 million trailers and containers, down 3.1 percent from the same period last year.