U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes see August gains, reports AAR’s Rail Industry Overview

Summary

The Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Rail Industry Overview (RIO) for August shows modest gains in U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes, even as the Freight Rail Index (FRI) dipped 0.5% from July. August carloads totalled 230,184 — up 0.7% year-on-year and marking the sixth straight month of annual gains — while intermodal volumes reached 284,316, up 0.5% year-on-year and recording the highest weekly average for any month since May 2021. Year-to-date through August, carloads are up 2.5% and intermodal units up 4.1%, with container moves at a record pace for the period.

Key Points

The AAR’s Freight Rail Index fell 0.5% from July to August but remains relatively strong.
August carloads: 230,184, up 0.7% year-on-year; 11 of 20 carload commodity groups rose (notably primary metal products +8.3%).
Year-to-date carloads through August: 7,749,143 — up 2.5% (about +192,000 carloads).
August intermodal: 284,316, up 0.5% year-on-year; weekly average the highest for any month since May 2021.
Year-to-date intermodal: 9.47 million units, up 4.1% (+~377,000); container movements 9.20 million, up 5.2% — a record for the period.

Context and Relevance

RIO is a monthly snapshot that distils findings from AAR’s broader research programme to show how rail traffic reflects economic activity. Rail volumes are widely regarded as a reliable indicator of near-term economic trends because they capture movements in goods across many sectors. The August figures point to resilient supply chains: carload and intermodal volumes are rising overall, but the modest FRI decline and AAR commentary highlight vulnerability to shifts in consumer spending, global trade flows and policy uncertainty. For shippers, carriers and supply-chain planners, these trends inform capacity planning, network strategy and inventory decisions.

Why should I read this

Quick and dirty: if you care about freight flows or supply-chain demand signals, this is worth a skim. The data show rail traffic holding up — a practical sign that goods are still moving — but there are enough caveats (FRI softness, trade and policy risk) to keep your contingency plans handy. Author’s take: it’s a solid, sector-level check on the economy — useful for planning capacity, forecasting volumes and spotting early shifts in demand.