Rail

By Daryl Delano -- Logistics Management, 12/1/1998

Railroad linehaul prices on average were 0.3% lower in October than in September. Although prices held steady in the coal/petroleum category, charges for moving most goods by rail fell over the month. Demand has grown only moderately this year; the Association of American Railroads reports that carload movements were running 2.2% ahead of year-ago levels at the end of October. It now appears that average rail charges in 1998 will be up by slightly less than 1.0% over 1997 levels.

% CHANGE VS.: 1 month ago 6 mos. ago 1 yr. ago

Coal/Petroleum 0.0 -0.3 -2.3

Chemicals -0.6 -0.2 0.0

Farm products -3.0 -3.0 -0.5

Motor vehicles 0.0 0.0 +0.5

Metallic ores -1.2 -3.5 -0.5