U.S. freight-rail traffic ticks upward in week 33

U.S. freight railroads hauled 532,462 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Aug. 22, up 4.2% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 235,885, up 3.2%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 296,577 containers and trailers, up 5%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted gains. They included metallic ores and metals, up 9.5% to 23,663; chemicals, up 6% to 33,850; and grain, up 9% to 22,260.

The commodity groups that posted decreases in carloads were motor vehicles and parts, down 10.4% to 15,849; miscellaneous carloads, down 8.5% to 8,301; and nonmetallic minerals, down 0.1%, to 32,632.

For the week, Canadian railroads reported 90,862 carloads, up 12.9%, and 76,420 intermodal units, up 4%. Mexican railroads posted 13,880 carloads, up 0.2%, and 14,548 intermodal units, up 33.5%.

For the first 33 weeks of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads posted 16,813,896 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%;
• Canadian railroads reported 5,421,349 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.2%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 836,087 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.5%.