U.S. freight-rail traffic rises 3.4% in Week 28

U.S. freight railroads hauled 523,900 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending July 18, up 3.4% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 226,883 down 1.2%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 297,017 containers and trailers, up 7.2%.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted increases. They included metallic ores and minerals, up 9.2% to 23,183; nonmetallic minerals, up 2.1% to 33,068; and grain, up 3% to 22,179.

Commodity groups that logged a decrease in carloads included coal, down 9.5% to 56,261; motor vehicles and parts, down 6.9% to 12,581; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2% to 10,924.

Canadian railroads reported 88,318 carloads for the week, up 3.8%, and 71,076 intermodal units, down 3.2%. Mexican railroads posted 13,058 carloads, up 12.2%, and 14,408 intermodal units, up 53%.

For the first 28 weeks of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads posted 14,176,139 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4%
• Canadian railroads reported 4,599,829 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6%
• Mexican railroads logged 727,653 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.5%.