US rail shipments fall 5.7 percent amid floods

The Association of American Railroads said freight carried on the tracks for the week ending June 21 totaled 318,275 carloads.

Volume fell 6.1 percent in the West, where cargo is primarily carried by Union Pacific Corp. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. Volumes slipped 5.3 percent in the East, where freight is mostly hauled by CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.

Seventeen out of 19 commodity groups posted lower volumes than a year earlier. The most significant declines were in shipments of motor vehicles and equipment, which fell 19.3 percent and lumber and wood products, which sank 21.8 percent.

Chemical carloads rose 4.9 percent and grain mill products rose 0.8 percent.

So far this year, shipments on U.S. rails are up 0.3 percent compared with the same period in 2007.