U.S. freight-rail traffic dips in Week 36

U.S. freight railroads hauled 494,865 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 12, down 3.7% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 223,560, down 3.3%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 271,305 containers and trailers, down 4.1%.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted gains. They included grain, up 17.3% to 23,507; petroleum and petroleum products, up 6.5% to 10,901; and forest products, up 2.1% to 8,342.

Commodity groups that posted decreases in carloads included motor vehicles and parts, down 18.8% to 14,295; chemicals, down 9.2% to 31,714; and coal, down 3.7% to 58,408.

For the week, Canadian railroads reported 90,264 carloads, down 2.5% compared with the same week in 2025, and 68,313 intermodal units, down 4.8%. Mexican railroads posted 12,676 carloads for the week, down 9.1%, and 13,463 intermodal units, up 7.7%.

For the first 36 weeks of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads posted 18,385,518 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4%;
• Canadian railroads reported 5,917,901 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 913,384 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1%.