Trainwreck? Rail traffic fell in July from a year ago as WSJ reports [7]an increase in container volumes couldn’t offset a steep decline in oil and coal shipments according to the Association of American Railroads. Despite almost constant reassurance that plunging oil prices are 'unequivocally good" for America, AAR analysts warn "railroads are overexposed, relative to the economy in general, to the energy sector," adding that traffic data indiates "growth is slow and the recovery could be threatened by an interest-rate increase by the Fed."
We have seen this kind of slide before...
[8]
As The Wall Street Journal reports, [7]
Rail traffic fell in July from a year ago as an increase in container volumes couldn’t offset a steep decline in oil and coal shipments, the Association of American Railroads said in its monthly report Friday.
The number of carloads carrying oil and petroleum products dropped 13.6% from a year ago to 67,909 last month, while coal volumes sank 12.5%. Container shipments rose 3.8% to 1.2 million. Traffic overall fell 1.8% to 2.7 million, the association said.
Oil-train shipments have tumbled this year, hurt by plunging prices for crude and concerns about the safety of transporting petroleum by rail. That, plus declining demand for coal from power plants and overseas buyers, has hit railroad operators’ earnings.
...
“Railroads are overexposed, relative to the economy in general, to the energy sector,” analysts with the AAR said in the traffic report.
The intermodal transport of containers and trailers was a bright spot for the railroads in July, reflecting an expanding economy. Still, the AAR report cautioned that growth is slow and the recovery could be threatened by an interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve, which is widely expected this fall.
