Freight-rail traffic ticked up in Week 16

U.S. freight railroads carried 511,616 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 25, a 1.9% increase compared with traffic in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Carloads totaled 229,828 for the week, down 1.5%, while intermodal volume totaled 281,788 containers and trailers, up 4.9%.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases in traffic. Gainers included motor vehicles and parts, up 6.7% to 16,675; metallic ores and metals, up 4.6% to 21,223; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 5.1% to 17,649 carloads.

Commodity groups that logged decreases included coal, down 7.8% to 55,082; chemicals, down 3.1% to 34,093; and miscellaneous carloads, down 9.3% to 8,900.

Canadian railroads reported 94,289 carloads for the week, up 0.1%, and 72,740 intermodal units, down 9.4%. Mexican railroads posted 14,163 carloads for the week, up 6.4%, and 14,648 intermodal units, up 37%.

For the first 16 weeks of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads reported cumulative rail traffic of 8,016,798 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7%;

• Canadian railroads posted 2,599,364 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.4%; and

• Mexican railroads logged 427,441 carloads and intermodal units, up 16.6%.