Houston — US rail transportation of grain products for the week ended Saturday totaled 22,633 cars, a 24.3% increase from the same week a year ago, Association of American Railroads data showed Wednesday.
Rail transportation of chemical products rose 33.9% year on year to 33,408 cars, the data showed. AAR designates fuel-grade ethanol as a chemical product. Cumulatively, grain product shipments have totaled 810,941 in 2018, up 4.2% compared with 2017. Chemical product shipments totaled 1.133 million cars, 4.5% higher than 2017, AAR said.
Total carloads last week saw a 9.6% year-on-year increase to 280,366 cars, AAR said. Including total carloads and intermodal units -- which totaled 287,515 units -- total US railroad traffic reached 567,881, 7.8% higher year on year, it said.
Through 35 weeks, total 2018 traffic was rose 4% from 2017, AAR said.
