Rail-shipped crude oil volumes may decline as new and repurposed pipeline infrastructure comes online. But crude-by-rail (CBR) is not dropping just yet.

The latest Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) numbers show crude and petroleum product shipments on the major, Class I railroads for the week of Sept. 21-27 rose 24.9% from the year-earlier week to 16,759 cars. Year-to-date CBR shipments through Sept. 27 were up 12.5% to a total of 590,333 carloads from 2013 volumes and now average 15,137 carloads per week.

That was the second-largest, year-to-date increase for any commodity AAR tracks, following behind grain as the railroads struggle to move a record harvest out of the Midwest. Year-over-year U.S. grain carloadings have now risen for 12 months in a row, according to the rail trade group. Both 2013 and 2014 have been banner years for grain production.

Fifteen of the 20 commodity categories AAR monitors monthly saw year-over-year carload increases in September. For the year, one long-term railroad mainstay—coal—dropped by 0.1% while all other commodities and intermodal container traffic rose, year to date. Overall Class I freight traffic was up 4.4% from 2013 in the period, essentially through the third quarter.

“As has generally been the case in recent months, U.S. freight rail traffic in September was consistent with an economy that’s growing at a steady pace. We think that will probably continue for the foreseeable future,” John T. Gray, AAR senior vice president, said in announcing the weekly numbers.

Canadian CBR volumes also continue to rise. For the September week, Canadian railroads reported 7,904 carloads of petroleum and petroleum products, up 24.8% from the year-earlier week. Year-to-date, shipments totaled 285,761 cars, a 12.5% increase. Those numbers include substantial U.S.-based operations of both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways.

Grain shipments and heavy CBR volumes continue to snarl all rail traffic in some regions, particularly the upper Great Plains. In one sign of the current, rail-based traffic jam, Amtrak announced it is re-routing its highly popular but perpetually late Empire Builder across North Dakota, where it travels on BNSF rails and must work around heavy freight traffic.