U.S. freight-rail traffic continues slight upward trend in Week 19

U.S. freight railroads hauled 511,216 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending May 16, up 4.2% year over year, according to data from the Association of American Railroads. 

Carloads for the week totaled 230,497, up 0.6%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 280,719 containers and trailers, up 7.3%.

Of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks weekly, seven posted an increase. They included grain, up 9.8% to 23,173; metallic ores and metals, up 4.9% to 22,450; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 9.8% to 11,278 carloads.

The three groups that logged a decline were coal, down 6.2% to 55,302; miscellaneous carloads, also down 6.2% to 9,658; and nonmetallic minerals, down 0.4% to 32,515 carloads.

Canadian railroads reported 96,919 carloads for the week, up 4.4%, and 78,109 intermodal units, up 1%. Mexican railroads posted 14,406 carloads, down 1.2%, and 15,544 intermodal units, up 29.2%.

Through the first 19 weeks of 2026 compared with the same 2025 period:

• U.S. railroads posted 9,560,542 carloads and intermodal units, up 2%
• Canadian railroads reported 3,115,805 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3%
• Mexican railroads logged 478,521 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.2%