Weekly rail traffic across U.S. railroads reached 494,865 carloads and intermodal units in the week ended Sept. 12, marking a 3.7% decline from the same week in 2025.
Commodity freight accounted for 223,560 carloads, down 3.3% year over year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Intermodal traffic was weaker, with 271,305 containers and trailers recorded during the week, representing a 4.1% decline from the comparable period last year.
The week stood out as a relatively rare off-week for U.S. rail traffic, with both major segments moving lower and intermodal experiencing the sharper decline.
Only three of the 10 commodity carload groups tracked by the AAR recorded year-over-year growth. Grain was the strongest performer, increasing 17.3%. Petroleum and petroleum products followed with a 6.5% gain, while forest products rose 2.1%.
On the other side of the ledger, motor vehicles and parts posted the steepest decline, falling 18.8%. Chemicals were down 9.2%, while nonmetallic minerals decreased 6%.
| This Week | Year-To-Date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars | vs 2025 | Cumulative | Avg/wk2 | vs 2025 | |
| Total Carloads | 223,560 | -3.3% | 8,209,888 | 228,052 | 2.7% |
| Chemicals | 31,714 | -9.2% | 1,215,145 | 33,754 | 2.1% |
| Coal | 58,408 | -3.7% | 2,064,254 | 57,340 | -1.8% |
| Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food | 16,220 | -1.0% | 628,134 | 17,448 | 4.2% |
| Forest Products | 8,342 | 2.1% | 300,063 | 8,335 | 1.1% |
| Grain | 23,507 | 17.3% | 849,013 | 23,584 | 12.6% |
| Metallic Ores and Metals | 21,025 | -2.5% | 768,500 | 21,347 | 7.7% |
| Motor Vehicles and Parts | 14,295 | -18.8% | 557,438 | 15,484 | -0.9% |
| Nonmetallic Minerals | 30,800 | -6.0% | 1,101,875 | 30,608 | 2.3% |
| Petroleum and Petroleum Products | 10,901 | 6.5% | 397,568 | 11,044 | 7.5% |
| Other | 8,348 | -5.1% | 327,898 | 9,108 | 0.4% |
| Total Intermodal Units | 271,305 | -4.1% | 10,175,630 | 282,656 | 4.0% |
| Total Traffic | 494,865 | -3.7% | 18,385,518 | 510,709 | 3.4% |
1 Excludes U.S. operations of CPKC, CN and GMXT.
2 Average per week figures may not sum to totals as a result of independent rounding.
Chart: Association of American Railroads (AAR)
Despite the weaker weekly figures, rail traffic remained ahead of 2025 levels on a year-to-date basis. During the first 36 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads recorded 8,209,888 carloads, an increase of 2.7% compared with the same period last year. Intermodal volume reached 10,175,630 units, up 4%.
Combined U.S. traffic for the first 36 weeks totaled 18,385,518 carloads and intermodal units, representing a 3.4% increase from a year earlier.
The picture was also softer across North America during the week. Across nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads, volume totaled 326,500 carloads, down 3.3% from 2025. Intermodal traffic reached 353,081 units, a decrease of 3.8%.
Combined North American traffic therefore came to 679,581 carloads and intermodal units for the week, 3.6% below the corresponding week in 2025.
For the first 36 weeks of the year, however, North American railroads reported 25,216,803 carloads and intermodal units, representing a 3% year-over-year gain.
The AAR chart excludes U.S. operations of CPKC, CN and GMXT. Average-per-week figures may not sum precisely to cumulative totals because of independent rounding.
