TORONTO (ICIS news)--US chemical railcar traffic rose 2.3% to 153,076 carloads, in August, compared with the same month last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on Thursday.
For the week ending 1 September, chemical rail carloads rose 2.8% to 32,022 compared with the same week in 2006, the association said.
Cumulatively, US chemical railcar loadings came to 1.06m for the first 35 weeks of 2007, an increase of 2.3% from the same period last year.
The AAR did not cite reasons for the increase in chemicals shipments.
Analysts consider the rail shipment data to be a good early indicator of current chemical industry activity. Railroads transport more than 20% of chemicals produced in the US.
The AAR said overall railcar loadings for the 19 commodity categories it tracks fell 1%, to 1.685m in August, compared with August 2006.
For the week ending 1 September overall carloads fell 1.1% to 342,921 from the same week in 2006.
Cumulatively, overall carloads were 11.36m, down 3.5%, for the first 35 weeks of 2007, compared with 2006, the AAR said.
For the week ending 1 September, chemical rail carloads rose 2.8% to 32,022 compared with the same week in 2006, the association said.
Cumulatively, US chemical railcar loadings came to 1.06m for the first 35 weeks of 2007, an increase of 2.3% from the same period last year.
The AAR did not cite reasons for the increase in chemicals shipments.
Analysts consider the rail shipment data to be a good early indicator of current chemical industry activity. Railroads transport more than 20% of chemicals produced in the US.
The AAR said overall railcar loadings for the 19 commodity categories it tracks fell 1%, to 1.685m in August, compared with August 2006.
For the week ending 1 September overall carloads fell 1.1% to 342,921 from the same week in 2006.
Cumulatively, overall carloads were 11.36m, down 3.5%, for the first 35 weeks of 2007, compared with 2006, the AAR said.
