U.S. freight-rail traffic inched up in Week 12

U.S. freight railroads hauled 515,921 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending March 28, up 0.5% year over year, according to weekly freight data from the Association of American Railroads.

Carloads for the week totaled 233,833, down 0.8%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 282,088 containers and trailers, up 1.6%. 

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted an increase. Gainers included chemicals, up 5.9% to 36,589 units; petroleum and petroleum products, up 11.2% to 11,239 units; and grain, up 3.5% to 24,010 carloads.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 8.4% to 57,636 units; nonmetallic minerals, down 3.8% to 30,174 units; and metallic ores and metals, down 2% to 20,201 carloads.

Canadian railroads reported 94,298 carloads for the week, down 2.4%, and 73,994 intermodal units, down 4.8%. Mexican railroads posted 14,083 carloads, down 18.5%, and 15,466 intermodal units, up 16.9%.

For the first 12 weeks of 2026 compared with the same 2025 period:

• U.S. railroads posted 5,995,511 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7%;
• Canadian railroads reported 1,932,183 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.9%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 317,730 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.2%.