On the UP Sunset Route east of Tucson earlier this morning an eastbound train with two engines (UP 8033 7048) had five loads of 40/45' containers, and then more than 120 empty well cars. I'm used to seeing empty well cars head west to the Ports, but not east. Although it could be a repo or other issue, could this be a sign of the shipping slowdown (New Year + coronavirus)?
As comparison, December 2019 had an average of 29 trains a day on the Sunset Route just east of Tucson, while just four months earlier it was 36 a day. Seasonal rushes, PSR, and the economy all impact, but strings of empty well cars heading east are a new change.