Association of American Railroads

Weekly U.S. intermodal traffic continues upward, but Hurricane Laura could threaten that trend.

Intermodal volumes actually grew year-over-year.

U.S. carloads fall nearly 18%, although intermodal traffic slipped by only 1%.

As U.S. weekly carloads have trended lower for months, rail industry stakeholders discuss how to relieve the railcar supply glut.

Weekly volumes for U.S. intermodal units were only 1.7% lower than the same period in 2019.

U.S. rail traffic is still facing double-digit percentage declines amid trade uncertainties and the coronavirus pandemic.

Weekly U.S. intermodal volumes rise nearly 8% amid the easing of social distancing restrictions that began before the July Fourth holiday weekend. But can intermodal traffic sustain that increase amid pandemic uncertainties?

Infrastructure provisions passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but they may have trouble finding support in Republican-controlled Senate.

The latest infrastructure bill phases out DB-60 air brake control valves manufactured before January 2006 over concerns about their effectiveness in cold weather.

Rail traffic continued to build through June. U.S. intermodal traffic was only off 5% year-over-year in week 26.

$1.5 trillion infrastructure bill passes U.S. House along party lines; includes truck insurance hike.

Rail traffic continues to increase after bottoming out in April and May.

Weekly rail traffic moved higher week-to-week amid growing builder confidence and higher retail sales in May. But will the upward trend last?

With the second half of the year just weeks away, Class I rail executives are eyeing at least some recovery in rail volumes as shelter-in-place restrictions ease.

The active railcar fleet fell by 25% in May. Multiple headwinds face railcar demand, but volumes may be turning a corner.

Labor groups praise bill’s contents but key freight rail group is “disappointed.”

Although rail traffic is still down significantly over 2019, that wide difference in volumes could be slowly starting to narrow.

Despite U.S. rail traffic remaining sharply lower on a year-over-year basis, rail volumes for commodities such as grain and motor vehicles and parts helped to push volumes higher on a week-to-week basis.

Opponents of increasing size standards for trucks fear permanent changes post-pandemic.

The Class I railroads are hoping that the restart of U.S. automotive production will be one of the first significant steps towards growing rail volumes. Automakers are resuming production as weekly U.S. carloads tumble 30% year-over-year, the widest decline since 1988.

As Congress and the White House consider short- and longer-term funding infrastructure needs, the railroads want to ensure that the rail sector is part of the discussion.

The Class I railroads’ expectations that the second quarter could be rough volume-wise are ringing true.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent U.S. rail volumes tumbling last month. But now, stakeholders are looking at the shape and scope of an eventual recovery.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the structural decline in U.S. coal consumption, are pulling rail volumes downward.

U.S. rail traffic slumps amid pandemic woes, and challenges are likely to persist into the second quarter.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is shrinking U.S. rail volumes as the housing construction and retail sectors struggle to stay afloat.

North American rail volumes last week were approaching levels normally seen during Christmas and New Year’s, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Motor vehicles carloads fall nearly 67% as the coronavirus pandemic keeps buyers away from showrooms.

Freight rail trade and labor groups applaud the U.S. federal government for passing the $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at stabilizing the American economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic may put pressure on U.S. rail volumes, particularly for commodities that support consumer goods, says an Association of American Railroads executive.

Two unions’ petition to the Federal Railroad Administration contends that some Class I railroads have been slow to respond to calls for better workplace sanitation amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Total headcount falls to its lowest level amid continued declines in U.S. rail volumes.

Intermodal volumes slump as the coronavirus cuts North American import and export volume.

The drop in weekly intermodal volumes in North America could be a reflection of the impact of coronavirus on the supply chain.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants freight and passenger railroads to temporarily alter their sick leave policies and provide stronger sanitizing materials.

Excluding coal carloads, U.S. carloads in February fell only 0.8% from last year, according to the Association of American Railroads.

U.S. rail traffic maintains its slump for another week

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic is over 6% lower than the same period in 2019.

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes are still sluggish, and the effect of the coronavirus on intermodal volumes remains unclear.

Trade uncertainties, softness in the manufacturing sector contributed to lower rail volumes in January.

The drop comes as the Class I railroads look to the second half of 2020 for volume growth.

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic is 7.8% lower compared with the same period in 2019.

U.S. carloads and intermodal units are down year to date from the same period in 2019.

Improving rail volumes and service are among the crucial issues to look out for as the railroads reveal their 2020 guidance in the coming days.

Association of American Railroads reports volumes continue to run lower than a year ago.

Jim Blaze writes about the key messages he extrapolated about railroading in 2019.

U.S. rail volumes fell 5% in 2019 amid trade worries, a sluggish industrial economy and a significant drop in coal carloads.

The volume drop has created ripple effects, including some lower railcar leasing rates.

The continued dip in rail volumes comes as North American freight rail groups press for trade pact.

Proposal providing relief for shippers could be rolled out next year.

Economic uncertainty weighs on rail volumes.

E-commerce’s role in transforming supply chain logistics should be a factor that Congress considers during the next surface transportation bill authorization.

U.S. rail volumes are down, but don’t call it a freight recession, according to Association of American Railroads executive.

U.S. rail volumes continue to slip as rail executives see muted peak season.

U.S. rail volumes have been trending lower all year.

U.S. rail volumes fell 8.1% amid trade uncertainty and “sluggish” growth abroad.

U.S. rail trade associations say changes will help employees responding to unplanned events.

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic continues to trend lower.

Rail volumes fell yet again and the industry is casting its doubts about the fourth quarter.

With U.S. rail volumes still slumping, the Class I railroads wondered in third-quarter earnings calls when the downward trend would end.

Groups say existing federal laws trump Illinois’ mandate on train crew size.

Jim Blaze writes about the decisions that will go into determining 2020 capital expenditures by the freight railroads.

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic down 3.8 percent from the same period in 2018.

This week we step inside the world of an industry that’s been rolling for nearly 200 years. Ian Jefferies of the Association of American Railroads talks about rails role in the economy, an industry in transition, Precision Railroading, Positive Train Control, drones, data, and automation.

Trade uncertainty and loose truck capacity continue to weigh on rail traffic.

Weakness in the manufacturing sector is dragging U.S. rail volumes lower, AAR says.

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes are still slumping this year, due in part to a competitive truck market for intermodal shipments.

The continued slump in U.S. rail volumes is putting pressure on overall North American rail volumes.

Grain may return with trade growth, but frac sand in structural change.

Year-to-date North American rail volumes fell 2.3 percent last week. But what about for the rest of the year?

The states of Illinois, Nevada and Washington are seeking to push ahead with state laws requiring a train crew size of at least two individuals, despite a federal declaration saying that such laws have been voided.

U.S. railroad operations loaded 5.5 percent fewer carloads and intermodal units in July, and trade uncertainty could threaten to maintain that downward trend in rail volumes for the remainder of 2019.

Jim Blaze writes about the recent history of intermodal rail service and what may happen in the next few years.

“If a shipper can share some of its production forecast information to railroads, railroads can plan better to meet that capacity. Conversely, if railroads can open up and show where their empty railcars are to the shipper so that the shipper has a bit more confidence that the right number of railcars are going to show up, then the shipper can more confidently choose rail.”

North American rail volumes are still lower year-over-year, but U.S. carloads recovered somewhat last week.

Passenger train proposal asks for comment on freight requirements as well.

U.S. rail volumes fell yet again for the week ending July 20, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

Jim Blaze writes about the pros and cons of shippers owning or leasing their own freight railcars to move their products.

The continued decline of U.S. rail volumes was one of the themes mentioned in the second quarter earnings calls for CSX and Canadian Pacific.

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes fell yet again this week, although improving economic indicators signal that rail volumes could moderate in the weeks and months ahead.

Jim Blaze writes about railroad movement of scrap – the market today and the future of the market.

Jim Blaze writes about the movement of grain by rail. This is a huge business for U.S. and Canadian railroads, and is also critical to the export market of the two countries.

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes fell again amid a loosening truck market, receding floodwaters in the Midwest and overall economic uncertainty.

Should the Class I railroads see U.S. rail volumes sustainably increase, furloughed workers could be called back to meet network capacity needs, resulting in a bump up of headcount levels. But another factor that could affect headcount levels in the long-term is the deployment of automation technologies.

U.S. rail volumes trended downward again for the week ending June 15, with weekly volumes falling over 5 percent and year-to-date volumes declining nearly 3 percent, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of coal by rail. He explores the history of rail-coal; more importantly, he writes about what the future may hold for coal in the U.S. and how that will impact the railroads.

Flooding impacts, cheap natural gas prices, and trade and economic uncertainty could be factors contributing to a significant slump in weekly U.S. rail volume.

U.S. intermodal volumes fell 5.9 percent in May, while carloads fell 2.1 percent amid economic uneasiness and uncertainties surrounding U.S. trade between Mexico and China.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case again about whether Amtrak can have a role in crafting the on-time performance metrics and standards for the freight railroads. The Court’s June 3 action paves the way for Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration to finish establishing those metrics and standards.

e railroad industry is “concerned” about a possible disruption of the North American supply chain should the U.S. impose tariffs on imports from Mexico. But for now, the rail industry is taking a wait-and-see stance.

U.S. rail volumes tumbled 6.7 percent for the week ending May 25 as slumping intermodal volumes dragged total volumes lower. Softness in the housing and manufacturing sectors could be contributing to lower U.S. rail volumes year-to-date.

The Federal Railroad Administration is withdrawing its notice of proposed rulemaking for train crew staffing. Regulating train crew staffing is not necessary or appropriate for rail operations to be conducted safely, the agency said.

U.S. rail volumes fell again for the week ended May 18, while Canadian volumes grew, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads. The theme of higher U.S. carloads but lower intermodal volumes was also expressed by CSX this week.

This article brought to you courtesy of NEXT Trucking Intermodal and drayage carriers are seeing a drop in demand about midway through the second quarter. The U.S.-China trade war gets […]

Canadian rail volumes rose again year-to-date for the week ended May 11, while U.S. rail volumes continued downward amid U.S. tariff uncertainty and a fuzzy economic picture.

April rail volumes fell year-over-year but rose slightly from March 2019, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on May 1. But the AAR predicted that improving economic conditions could lead to rail volumes stabilizing or growing in the second half of the year, although some uncertainties still persist.

U.S. rail traffic dipped again for the week ending April 20, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

Higher coal and chemicals volumes drove U.S. carloads upward on a weekly basis for the first time since late February, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). But despite that weekly gain for U.S. carloads, overall U.S. rail traffic still softened.

President Trump’s executive order would create new transportation option for capacity-constrained LNG markets.

Year-to-date rail volumes for every commodity except petroleum and petroleum products slumped last week in the United States, according to the Association of American Railroads.