U.S. freight railroads log 1.2% volume gain in Week 11

U.S. freight railroads hauled 502,252 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 21, up 1.2% compared with traffic in the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads rose 1.2% to 227,583 units; intermodal units also rose 1.2% to 274,669 containers and trailers.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR each week posted an increases. Gainers include chemicals, up 6.3% to 36,302 carloads; coal, up 1.6% to 58,312; and grain, up 3.4% to 22,989.

Commodity groups that logged decreases include metallic ores and metals, down 5.6% to 19,087 carloads; forest products, down 4.4% to 7,841; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1.1% to 29,289.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 90,910 carloads in the week, down 2.7%, and 73,440 intermodal units, down 4.4%. Mexican railroads carried 12,909 carloads, down 6%, and 13,583 intermodal units, down 0.2%.

In the first 11 weeks of 2026 compared with traffic in the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads hauled 5,479,590 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8%;
• Canadian railroads logged 1,763,891 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 288,181 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.7%.