RESIDCO U.S. Rail Traffic Reports
RESIDCO U.S. Rail Annual Traffic Index

The RESIDCO U.S. Rail Annual Traffic Index provides a representation of the percent change in the aggregate annual volume of U.S. rail traffic activity in relation to the base year of 1993.  The Index statistically combines volumes of railcar loads and intermodal loads, providing an industry-wide view of changes in U.S. rail usage.

RESIDCO U.S. Rail Quarterly Traffic Index
The RESIDCO U.S. Rail Quarterly Traffic Index provides a visual representation of the percent change in the aggregate quarterly volume of U.S. rail traffic activity in relation to the first quarter of 1993.  The Index statistically combines volumes of railcar loads and intermodal loads, providing an industry-wide view of changes in U.S. rail usage.
U.S. Carloads & Weighted Intermodal Units
This graph represents measurements of loads in traffic of U.S. railcars (“Carloads”) and statistically adjusted U.S intermodal units (“Weighted Intermodal Units”).  Because, on average, an intermodal unit holds approximately 60% of a railcar’s volume, the measure of intermodal units has been weighted by a factor of (.6), bringing the two into an equitable and comparable standard of units.
Quarterly Change of U.S. Carloads & Weighted Intermodal Traffic
This graph represents the change, from quarter to quarter, of traffic volume for U.S. “Carloads” and “Weighted Intermodal Traffic” (see the "U.S. Carloads & Weighted Intermodal Units" graph for an explanation of these terms).
Quarterly Change of U.S. Carloads Plus Weighted Intermodal Traffic
This graph represents the change, from quarter to quarter, of the sum of U.S. “Carloads” and “Weighted Intermodal Traffic” (see see the "U.S. Carloads & Weighted Intermodal Units" graph for an explanation of these terms).
U.S. Coal Agricultural & Commodity Carloads
This graph represents measurements of volumes of U.S. railcar loads (“Carloads”) by three types of cargo:  coal, agriculture and commodity.

“Agricultural” Carloads include loads of industry categories:  “grain,” “farm products,” “grain mill products,” and “food and kindred products.”

“Commodity” Carloads includes loads of industry categories:  “metallic ores,” “crushed stone, sand & gravel,” “nonmetallic minerals,” “primary forest products,” “lumber & wood products,” “pulp, paper and allied products,” “chemicals,” “petroleum products,” “stone, clay & glass products,” “coke,” “metals & products,” “motor vehicles & equipment,” “waste & scrap materials,” and all other types of loads excluding coal and agricultural products.
U.S. Carloads
This graph is close-up of the data for “Carloads” as represented in the previous graphs, highlighting the marginal fluctuations of Carload volumes from quarter to quarter.
U.S. Intermodal Units
This graph represents the measurement of the load volume of traffic of U.S. intermodal units, without the weighting system that has been employed in the previous graphs.
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RESIDCO tracks trends in US rail traffic via a unique composite of railcar and intermodal load data. Click titles below to view charts in Adobe PDF format.