AAR

AAR: Intermodal’s Upward Trend Continues

October was the “the best month ever” for U.S. rail intermodal, with volumes up by one-third from April—“a stunning increase in six months,” Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President John T. Gray said on Nov. 4. Intermodal again offset carload declines, as U.S. rail traffic for the month—2,082,646 carloads and intermodal units—rose 2.0%, compared with the same month last year. Also positive: Carloads rose for 10 of the 20 categories AAR tracks, “the most since the pandemic began,” Gray noted.

Component Tracking: Greater Visibility

RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE: Identifying railcar components and tracking their health is critical to the safe and efficient operation of North America’s freight railroads. In an industry with about 1.6 million revenue-earning cars, annual equipment maintenance spending might approach $2 billion. The benefits of more efficient component tracking and equipment-health analysis are potentially significant.

AAR Week 43: Once Again, It’s Intermodal

The trend continues: Intermodal gains once again offset carload declines, as U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 24, 2020—522,653 carloads and intermodal units—rose 1.9% compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Oct. 28.

Senate Commerce Gets An Earful of Rail

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Oct. 21 convened a hearing on the state of the U.S. passenger and freight rail network. Railroad, shipping and union representatives provided testimony, which included the impacts of COVID-19, legislative considerations for surface transportation reauthorization, and Amtrak’s ongoing struggles. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is Chair of the Committee. Following are highlights from the presenters, with downloadable PDFs of their full written testimony.

AAR: Intermodal Gain Tamps Down Carload Loss, Again

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 17, 2020, largely mirrored the previous week’s figures, with a significant intermodal gain surpassing a carload decline, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Oct. 21. Year-to-date figures largely confirm that intermodal has held up relatively well in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, compared to carload volume.

Staggers at 40: A Rail Market ‘Allowed to Work Where Competition Exists’ (UPDATED)

Forty years ago today (Oct. 14, 1980), President Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act into law. The landmark legislation partially deregulated the U.S. rail industry, and created “today’s nimble, resilient rail network … built upon a rock-solid foundation,” noted Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ian Jefferies. It enabled railroads to enter into contracts with shippers and set rates without Interstate Commerce Commission approval.

Intermodal 7-Up, Carloads 10 Down: AAR

“September 2020 was the fourth best intermodal month in history for U.S. railroads, as retailers and others restocked their inventories and prepared for the holiday season,” Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President John T. Gray noted on Oct. 7, 2020, as overall U.S. freight rail traffic volume for the month of September dipped a mere 1%, based on a healthy increase in intermodal. “Meanwhile, rail carloads, which don’t include intermodal, remained down in September compared with last year, but showed marked improvement compared to a few months ago, especially if you exclude coal. In the meantime, railroads remain focused on keeping their employees safe while delivering the goods our nation needs.”

Intermodal Partially Saves the Day, Again: AAR

For the week ending Sept. 26, 2020, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 518,290 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week, at 224,146 carloads and down 10.5% compared with the same week in 2019, were offset by U.S. weekly intermodal volume, at 294,144 containers and trailers, up 5.5% compared to 2019.

Week 38: Intermodal Saves the Day—Sort Of

Intermodal gains mostly offset carload declines for U.S. and North American freight rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 19, 2020, reducing the weekly decline to less than 2%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Sept. 23. Traffic for the year’s first 38 weeks was still down significantly compared to 2019, however.

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