U.S. rail freight gained momentum in mid-October on stronger industrial demand and broad-based growth in commodity shipments. Total combined U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 17, 2026, was 540,135 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.5 percent compared with the same week in 2025, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported.
Carload traffic totaled 232,120 units, up 3.5% from the same year-ago period. Intermodal shipments, or trailers and containers moved by rail, were up 12.6% to 308,015 units.
The numbers point to particularly good performance for intermodal transportation, and increased industrial output helped bolster demand for conventional rail freight.
Steelmaking materials lead commodities gains
Nine of the 10 commodity groups tracked by the AAR posted gains on a year-over-year basis for the reporting week. The biggest gain was in metallic ores and metals used in steelmaking and other industrial processes, up 14.5%.
Steel production also gave a positive signal for the sector. The latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute showed that domestic raw-steel output was 4.1% higher than the previous week.
Petroleum and related products were up 8.8% and grain shipments were up 7% from the same period last year. The gains reflect the contribution of several major industrial and agricultural commodities to overall rail freight performance.
The only group of commodities to fall was nonmetallic minerals such as sand and stone. Volumes in this segment fell 3.2% year on year, going against the overall upward trend seen across the other groups.
U.S. rail volumes will continue to grow through 2026
The most recent weekly numbers are also in line with the positive trend that U.S. railroads have experienced since the beginning of the year.
Cumulative carload traffic for the first 41 weeks of 2026 was 9,374,717 units, up 2.7% compared with the same point in 2025. Intermodal volumes increased 4.6 percent to 11,687,964 units.
Carload and intermodal traffic combined totaled 21,062,681 units for the 41-week period, up 3.7 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
| This Week | Year-To-Date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars | vs 2025 | Cumulative | Avg/wk2 | vs 2025 | |
| Total Carloads | 232,120 | 3.5% | 9,374,717 | 228,652 | 2.7% |
| Chemicals | 32,235 | 0.5% | 1,380,215 | 33,664 | 2.2% |
| Coal | 58,242 | 0.9% | 2,354,636 | 57,430 | -1.7% |
| Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food | 18,776 | 6.2% | 714,966 | 17,438 | 3.6% |
| Forest Products | 8,025 | 3.7% | 342,662 | 8,358 | 1.8% |
| Grain | 22,486 | 7.0% | 961,173 | 23,443 | 10.9% |
| Metallic Ores and Metals | 23,306 | 14.5% | 883,481 | 21,548 | 8.5% |
| Motor Vehicles and Parts | 16,139 | 5.6% | 640,204 | 15,615 | -0.4% |
| Nonmetallic Minerals | 32,428 | -3.2% | 1,266,553 | 30,892 | 2.2% |
| Petroleum and Petroleum Products | 11,546 | 8.8% | 455,965 | 11,121 | 7.8% |
| Other | 8,937 | 6.5% | 374,862 | 9,143 | 1.3% |
| Total Intermodal Units | 308,015 | 12.6% | 11,687,964 | 285,072 | 4.6% |
| Total Traffic | 540,135 | 8.5% | 21,062,681 | 513,724 | 3.7% |
North American Rail Freight Broader Gains
The rise in rail traffic was not confined to the United States, as reporting railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico combined posted higher volumes.
North America rail volume for the week ended Oct. 14 was 339,034 carloads, up 3.2% from the same week last year. Intermodal traffic was 392,681 units, an increase of 10.8%.
Combined weekly traffic for the three countries was 731,715 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 7.2% from the same week in 2025.
The overall figures were positive too. U.S. railroads originated 28,828,693 carloads and intermodal units in the first 41 weeks of 2026, up 3.2 percent from the same period in 2025.
“The latest numbers show just how important intermodal traffic and industrial commodities are to the continued growth of rail freight. Individual commodity segments are still mixed but the overall uptick in U.S. and North American traffic is a good indicator of stronger rail volumes in the balance of 2026.
