US freight railroads report uptick in traffic for Week 30

U.S. freight railroads hauled 526,410 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Aug. 1, up 2.4% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 233,171 down 0.4%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 293,239 containers and trailers, up 4.8%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted traffic increases. They included metallic ores and minerals, up 9.1% to 24,050; farm products (except grain) and food, up 5.4% to 17,426; and grain, up 4% to 22,509.

Commodity groups that posted decreases in carloads were coal, down 7.7% to 57,451; motor vehicles and parts, down 5.3% to 14,990; and chemicals, down 2.3%, to 33,492. 

Canadian railroads reported 90,816 carloads for the week, up 2.6%, and 72,146 intermodal units, down 0.1%. Mexican railroads posted 11,710 carloads, up 4%, and 12,317 intermodal units, up 21%.

For the first 30 weeks of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads posted 15,229,711 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%
• Canadian railroads reported 4,922,416 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6%
• Mexican railroads logged 779,384 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.5%.