Notice of Restatement: Due to a technical error, Railinc has restated Short Line Index data for February, March, April and May 2015. Railinc apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused. The data reported below represent the most recent report.
The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads increased in year-to-year comparisons. Total carloads were up by 6.1 percent from 330,471 in March 2014 to 350,704 in March 2015.
Of the seven commodity groups to experience a gain in March, trailer or container increased most, up 57 percent. The most significant declines were observed in metallic ores, down 28 percent; metals and products, down 19 percent; and waste and scrap materials, down 16 percent. (Click here to download this file as an Excel table.)
Railinc publishes this information as a service to the rail industry. The Railinc Short Line and Regional Traffic Index can also be found monthly in Railway Age Magazine. For questions or comments, please contact the Railinc Corporate Communications department.