US rail transportation of grain products for the week ended June 16 totaled 23,086 cars, up 6.5% compared with the year-ago week, Association of American Railroads data showed Wednesday.
Rail transportation of chemical products rose 1.5% year on year to 31,707 cars, the data showed. AAR designates fuel-grade ethanol as a chemical product.
Cumulatively, grain product shipments have totaled 554,381 in 2018, down 0.1% compared with 2017. Chemical product shipments totaled 775,785 cars, 3.7% higher than 2017, AAR said.
Total carloads last week saw a 1.9% year-on-year increase to 269,748 cars, AAR said. Including total carloads and intermodal units -- which totaled 288,350 units -- total US railroad traffic reached 558,098, 4.1% higher year on year, it said.
Through 24 weeks, total 2018 traffic was up 3.6% from 2017, according to AAR.
