US rail transportation of grain products for the week ended March 3 totaled 23,198 cars, down 3.3% compared with the year-ago week, Association of American Railroads data showed Wednesday.
Rail transportation of chemical products rose 6.1% year on year to 33,983 cars, the data showed. AAR designates fuel-grade ethanol as a chemical product.
Cumulatively, grain product shipments have totaled 195,954 in 2018, down 5.6% compared with 2017. Chemical product shipments totaled 284,856 cars, 1.8% higher than 2017, AAR said.
Total carloads last week saw a 1.3% year-on-year increase to 264,659 cars, AAR said. Including total carloads and intermodal units -- which totaled 279,535 units -- total US railroad traffic reached 544,194, 5.8% higher year on year, it said.
Through nine weeks, total 2018 traffic was up 1.5% from 2017, according to AAR.
