GAUGING U.S. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THROUGH RAIL TRAFFIC DATA
Since demand for rail service arises as a result of demand elsewhere in the economy for the products that railroads haul, rail traffic is a useful gauge of broader economic activity, both for specific industries and for the economy as a whole. A sample of current weekly, monthly and annual information on freight rail traffic are in the interactive charts below. More detailed data is contained in a variety of AAR statistical products, which are free for AAR members and available for purchase by non-AAR members through the online catalog. Questions regarding AAR statistics should be directed to AAR's Policy and Economics Department.