U.S. freight-rail traffic drops 15.5% in Week 4

U.S. freight railroads hauled 434,361 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Jan. 31, down 15.5% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 191,188, down 14%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 243,173 containers and trailers, down 16.6%.

Only one of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted an increase. It was grain, up 2.9% to 22,655 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 16.5% to 50,189 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, down 29.8% to 18,702; and motor vehicles and parts, down 27.9% to 11,311.

Canadian railroads reported 87,405 carloads for the week, down 3.1%, and 60,594 intermodal units, down 15%. Mexican railroads posted 13,472 carloads, up 4%, and 14,828 intermodal units, up 25.9%.

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

• U.S. railroads posted 1,931,911 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.1%;
• Canadian railroads reported 622,434 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.6%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 112,845 carloads and intermodal units, up 33.8%.