Rail freight stretches lead over 2025

Weekly rail traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 526,410 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Aug.1, up 2.4% y/y, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Commodity shipments were 233,171 carloads, down 0.4%, while intermodal volume of 293,239 containers and trailers was better by 4.8% compared to 2025.

Metallic ores and metals typically used in steelmaking led seven of 10 category gainers, by 9.1%, followed by petroleum and related products, 5.9%, and farm products excluding grain and food, 5.4%.

(Chart: AAR)

Seasonally-weak coal was off 7.7%, while chemicals struggled, weaker by 2.3% y/y.

Through the first 30 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,811,496 carloads, an increase of 2.7%, and 8,418,215 intermodal units, up 3.8% from a year ago. Total combined traffic was 15,229,711 carloads and intermodal units, better by 3.3%.

North American rail volume for the week on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,697 carloads, up 0.5%, and 377,702 intermodal units, up 4.3% from the previous year. Combined traffic came to 713,399 carloads and intermodal units, a gain of 2.5%. Volume year-to-date was 20,931,511 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9% y/y.

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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here .

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