U.S. freight-rail traffic rises in Week 37

U.S. freight railroads hauled 535,663 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 19, up 4.9% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 234,207, up 2.4%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 301,456 containers and trailers, up 6.9%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted gains. They included metallic ores and metals, up 15.1% to 23,420; nonmetallic minerals, up 7% to 33,639; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 12.5% to 11,976.

Commodity groups that posted carload decreases were coal, down 3.1% to 58,171; grain, down 7.7% to 21,369; and motor vehicles and parts, down 0.8% to 16,636.

For the week, Canadian railroads reported 92,935 carloads, up 3%, and 72,868 intermodal units, up 0.3%. Mexican railroads posted 13,237 carloads for the week, up 16.9%, and 13,095 intermodal units, up 21.9%.

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

• U.S. railroads posted 18,921,181 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4%;
• Canadian railroads reported 6,083,704 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 939,716 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.4%.