Freight rail’s customer-first approach, operational expertise and past investments helped the auto industry rev back to life as auto plants came back online after being shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Because of the reopening of automotive plants, North American rail carloads of autos and auto parts rose from around 2,700 per week in April and early May to more than 21,000 per week by the end of June and more than 25,000 per week by August,” said John Gray, AAR’s Policy and Economics Chief.

The Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) launches an online training program to ensure the nation’s first responders have uninterrupted access to critical hazmat response training despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

Hot off the digital presses, AAR’s latest Railroad Ten-Year Trends PDF is now available. This annual report contains 168 pages of data including U.S. Class I railroad statistics such as performance, traffic and revenue, financial, labor, plant and equipment, and operations.