Loading ...Derail: Traffic Declines Across US Railroads Signals Broad Industrial Slowdown
New data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported US Class I rail traffic for the week ended July 27, of 534,498 carloads and intermodal containers, down 4.4% compared with the same week last year, reported Railway Age.
The slowdown in rail traffic is the result of a broad-based industrial downturn that is hitting American manufacturers, originating from Asia and Europe as a global synchronized structural decline. Trade disputes between the US and China have accelerated the downturn on almost every continent, sending world trade volumes lower.
Total carloads for the week were 261,706 carloads, declined 3.5% YoY, while US weekly intermodal container volume was 272,792 for the week, slipped 5.3% YoY.