The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in January 2018 was down compared to January 2017. Total carloads decreased 2.3 percent, from 346,367 in January 2017 to 338,247 in January 2018.
Crushed stone, sand and gravel led gains for the fourth month in a row with a 13.6 percent increase, followed by petroleum products and lumber and wood products, at 12.9 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively. Trailer or container led declines for the second consecutive month at 28.3 percent. Coal followed with a decrease of 19.1 percent. (Click here to download the Carloads by Commodity 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.