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November 2026
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
One of freight railroads’ traffic-generation bright spots in 2026 hasn’t shown too many signs of dimming lately. Intermodal volume continues to strengthen or at least hold at a high level in North America.
In fact, the third quarter was the best quarter ever for intermodal traffic, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). A record-setting August was followed by a stellar September, association officials said in an Oct. 13 newsletter.
“Intermodal is growing across North America as rising diesel prices and trucking costs push more shippers toward rail,” they said. “Domestic intermodal volumes recently climbed 6% year over year, while major railroads and ports are investing in infrastructure to capture growing demand.”
Through September, intermodal volume totaled 14,368,434 units, up 3.4% compared with the same 2025 period, according to the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). Domestic container volume jumped 8.2% to 6,972,784 units; all domestic equipment volume climbed 8% to 7,330,976 units; and international container volume dipped 0.9% to 7,037,458 units. In September alone, total intermodal volume rose 6.1%.
IANA’s intermodal volume index for October also provides evidence of the sector’s strength. The measure of North American intermodal freight activity clocked in at 105.1, which was down a scant 0.3% from September’s level but up 5.5% from October 2025’s mark.
The index underlines the strength of this year’s intermodal volumes, IANA officials said in a press release.
“We are expecting October to look remarkably similar to September, extending the peak season demand into the first part of the fourth quarter,” said IANA Director of Economics Andrew Sibold.
However, he also shared a word of caution: With a higher domestic share shifting from trucking to rail and imports rebounding, there is the potential for transportation capacity to tighten. That could dampen volume results, Sibold warned.
The Global Port Tracker (GPT) report for October also acknowledged that the extended peak shipping season finally appears to be slowing down in Q4. Compiled by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, the report provides data and forecasts for major U.S. container ports.
The GPT shows volume at the ports was declining from consistently high figures in the summer. The peak merchandise shipping season started early and lasted through the summer and early fall. Although consumer confidence indexes are sliding to multi-year lows, consumer spending is still robust in the face of increasing inflation, NRF and Hackett officials said in a press release.
“By now, most holiday merchandise has arrived in the U.S., and the majority of cargo coming in through the end of the year will be last-minute replenishments and for 2027 preparation,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy.
The GPT forecasts the ports’ November and December volumes at 2 million and 2.02 million 20-foot equivalents units (TEUs), respectively. At those levels, November volume would decline 1% while December volume would inch up 0.6% on a year-over-year basis.
If the forecast holds, the ports’ total 2026 volume would reach 25.8 million TEUs, potentially a 1.4% gain from 2025’s total of 25.4 million TEUs, according to the GPT.
Although volume might tick down slightly at the Port of Los Angeles as the end of the year approaches, the opposite was happening at the end of the third quarter.
In September, the largest U.S. container port handled 1,042,652 TEUs, marking the busiest month in the port’s 118-year history. The total — which climbed 18.1% on a year-over-year basis — beat the previous monthly record set in July 2025 by more than 20,000 TEUs, port officials said in a press release.
The port also capped off its busiest-ever quarter in September, with volume reaching nearly 3 million TEUs. Moreover, volume totaling about 4 million TEUs from July through September constituted a record four-month stretch.
“September was a month for the record books,” said Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Consumer demand remains resilient, importers are replenishing inventories and more cargo is being allocated to Los Angeles as shippers navigate continued challenges along other global trade routes.”
Lower tariffs and navigational challenges along the Suez Canal and Panama Canal shipping routes have led to more cargo being routed along the West Coast, he said.
The Port of Long Beach also set an all-time volume record in September at 997,177 TEUs, besting the previous highwater mark of 987,191 TEUs set October 2024. September volume climbed 25% year over year.
The record performance was fueled by shippers seeking strategies to counteract high diesel costs, Panama Canal access restrictions and a possible new U.S.-China trade deal, port officials said.
Meanwhile, there were other encouraging intermodal developments in October that involved several railroads.
Norfolk Southern Railway on Oct. 1 announced an expansion at its Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility in Columbus, Ohio, is nearing completion.
The terminal is situated in one of North America’s premier inland logistics markets and near a large portion of the U.S. population, NS officials said in an online post. The project is designed to increase capacity, improve ramp operations and strengthen flexibility across several international intermodal lanes.
Since the terminal opened in 2008, NS has spent more than $30 million in four expansion phases to boost capacity. The work is aimed at the terminal’s primary constraints over time, including support yard capacity, pad tracks, chassis and container parking, and related track infrastructure, NS officials said.
After the current work is completed — which involves adding more track and space to stage containers — the terminal’s capacity will increase from 250,000 lifts to 410,000 lifts per year.
Meanwhile, CSX continues to boost capacity at its intermodal terminal in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Volume at the terminal has increased from 159,000 units in 2023 to about 188,000 units in 2024 and 192,000 units in 2025.
Last year, CSX added a rubber-tired gantry crane and two reach stackers, and expanded parking for containers, chassis and employees at the facility. The Class I currently is expanding the terminal’s maintenance facility while evaluating additional opportunities to further expand the facility.
In Tennessee, BNSF Railway recently added three new receiving and departure tracks using a former intermodal facility site in Memphis. The new tracks feed into the Class I’s adjacent hump yard and provide added capacity for processing increased volumes. The tracks can accommodate more than 200 rail cars per day.
The project initially was projected for completion at November’s end, but work wrapped up on Sept. 10.
“Volume growth with existing customers and new long-term business opportunities materialized quickly in 2026, and we adjusted to accommodate our customers’ needs,” said BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Craig Morehouse in an online article.
In the Southeast, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a permit for the $2.3 billion Savannah Container Terminal after a three-year review process. The GPA plans to develop the 3.5 million-TEU container terminal on Hutchison Island at the Port of Savannah.
Construction is anticipated to start in January 2028. After it’s completed in the mid-2030s, the 350-acre facility will handle the largest container ships, GPA officials said in a press release. The port is served by CSX, NS and Genesee & Wyoming Inc.’s Savannah Port Terminal Railroad.
In Pennsylvania, the Port of Philadelphia — which also is served by CSX and NS — announced a more than $830 million endeavor to carry out the largest expansion in its history.
The port plans to construct a new 2,000-linear-foot berth at the Southport Marine Terminal and purchase the 152-acre Mustin Yard parcel to create significant expansion opportunities for auto and container cargo.
The port also would acquire and develop additional properties in the southern port district to enhance container capacity and support future growth/access initiatives, and improve the Tioga Marine Terminal berth to better handle liquid bulk barges and breakbulk vessels.
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