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Ton mile increases have largely been due to the increase in national coal tonnage. Value has started to creep back up on RR's because of containerization. Saying we're doing better in ton miles, is a long way from saying we're doing what we should be doing. And, this "old head" thinks that the standard US RR justification "we haul the most, so we must be the best" is part of what's wrong with the industry mentality, not what's right.

Ton miles have been increasing very slightly in the last couple of years due to coal, but have resumed to slow decline we've been seeing this year (probably a lot of hydro with above normal rain in much of the west and east this year), and is now less than we saw at the "height" of the coal "renaissance" in 2017. Coal has fallen significantly since the mid 2000's.

Auto related carloadings, grain, petroleum related traffic, and intermodal have shown the most variability, in recent years. Autos and intermodal are more of a function of general economic conditions and trade. Grain and petroleum volumes are a function of those commodity markets.

Ton miles so far this year have been in a bit of a decline. Weather and such have had an impact, so I wouldn't read too much into that yet. But, aggregate rail traffic is a good economic indicator.

Here's a real source:[