Freight, passenger transportation indices inched up in March

The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) in March rose 0.4% from February’s level to 138.7, increasing for the second consecutive month, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). 

On a year-over-year basis, the index ratcheted up 0.7%. The Freight TSI measures the amount of freight carried by for-hire transportation providers. 

“The Freight TSI increased in March due to increases in rail carloads, rail intermodal, trucking and water, while air freight and pipeline volumes decreased,” BTS officials said in a press release. 

Meanwhile, the Passenger TSI in March increased 0.3% from February’s mark to 127.2, also rising for the second consecutive month, according to the BTS. The index inched up 0.2% year over year. 

The Passenger TSI — which measures passenger volumes from local transit providers, intercity rail services and air transportation companies — climbed due to increases in passenger-rail and transit counts, while air passenger volume declined, BTS officials said. 

“The March increase brought [the index] to a new high for 2026, but 7.2% below the all-time-high in January 2020,” they said. 

On a combined basis, the total Freight and Passenger TSI in March rose 0.4% from the prior month and 0.5% year over year.