The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in October 2017 was higher compared to October 2016. Total carloads were up 3.1 percent, from 355,182 in October 2016, to 366,304 in October 2017.
Crushed stone, sand, and gravel led gains, up 25.6 percent over the previous year. Coal carloads increased 25.2 percent, while nonmetallic minerals were up 20.5 percent. Trailer or container led declines, down 16.6 percent. (Click here to download the Carloads by Commodity file as an Excel table.)
Total carloads for 2017 were at 3.55 million through October 31, up about 159,904 carloads, or 4.7 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.