Iowa’s Record Corn Crop Leads to Rail Car Surge

(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa’s record 2021 corn harvest fueled a significant increase in traffic on the rail lines that run through the state. Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler says the car loads of grain in 2021 were the most since 2008 and it is mostly due to the high volumes that were being exported. Railroad traffic nationwide increased seven percent in 2021 compared to 2020, but has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The volume of cars and trucks on Iowa streets and highways dropped more than 40 percent at the start of the pandemic. Marler says traffic levels are pretty much back to pre-pandemic levels and are even higher in Iowa’s rural areas. He says that’s likely because of the high volume of trucks carrying freight on Iowa highways and interstates.