U.S. freight-rail traffic rises during Week 26

For the week ending July 4, U.S. railroads reported hauling 482,121 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.7% year over year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week were 121,691, up 3.7%, while intermodal volume totaled 269,430 containers and trailers, up 12.9%.

Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted year-over-year gains, including grain, up 13% to 21,622 carloads; metallic ores and minerals, up 10.6% to 22,262 carloads; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 12.7% to 17,346 carloads.

The sole decliner was coal, which posted a decrease of 7.9% to 48,841.

For the week, Canadian railroads reported 88,601 carloads, up 8.1%, and 70,562 intermodal units, down 4.1% compared with the same period in 2025. Mexican railroads registered 15,445 carloads, up 42.2%, and 14,611 intermodal units, up 56%.

Through the first 26 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads logged 13,148,714 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4%, while Canadian and Mexican railroads reported a total of 4,227,145 units and 673,753 units, up 0.6% and 9.2%, respectively. 

Total North American rail volume through the first 26 weeks was 18,099,612 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9%.