The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in November 2017 was lower compared to November 2016. Total carloads were down 0.2 percent, from 346,485 in November 2016, to 345,839 in November 2017.
Crushed stone, sand and gravel led gains for the second month in a row, up 27.0 percent over the previous year. Coal carloads were up 17.8 percent, and petroleum products increased by 17.0 percent. Metallic ores led declines, down 27.2 percent, while trailer or container were down 26.3 percent. (Click here to download the Carloads by Commodity file as an Excel table.)
Total carloads for 2017 were at 3.9 million through November 30, up about 159,258 carloads, or 4.3 percent over the same period in 2016.
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.