U.S. freight-rail traffic rises 1.1% in Week 10

U.S. freight railroads hauled 508,737 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 14, a 1.1% increased compared with traffic in the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads rose 1% to 228,299 units, while total intermodal volume increased 1.1% to 280,438 containers and trailers.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR each week posted an increase during the week. They included grain, up 18.4% to 25,060 carloads; chemicals, up 5.5% to 34,966; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 11.3% to 10,688.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 5.9% to 57,825 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 8.1% to 17,987; and forest products, down 8% to 7,816.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads posted 88,636 carloads in the week, down 4.7%, and 72,706 intermodal units, down 0.5%. Mexican railroads carried 13,654 carloads, down 4.6%, and 15,304 intermodal units, up 31.8%.

For the first 10 weeks of 2026 compared with traffic in the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads hauled 4,977,338 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9%;
• Canadian railroads logged 1,599,541 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 272,716 carloads and intermodal units, up 18.3%.