U.S. freight railroads log slight traffic increase in Week 18

U.S. freight railroads hauled 513,755 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending May 9, up 3.7% year over year, according to weekly freight data from the Association of American Railroads.

Carloads for the week totaled 229,592, up 3.3%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 284,163 containers and trailers, up 4%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked weekly by the AAR posted an increase. They included grain, up 16.7% to 24,113; metallic ores and metals, up 10.6% to 20,487; and chemicals, up 6% to 34,279 carloads.

The groups that posted decreases were coal, down 2.5% to 54,953; miscellaneous carloads, down 12.7% to 8,456; and nonmetallic minerals, down 0.2% to 32,600 carloads.

Canadian railroads reported 92,948 carloads for the week, down 1.4%, and 74,677 intermodal units, down 6.4%. Mexican railroads posted 13,555 carloads, up 2.8%, and 12,576 intermodal units, up 27%.

Through the first 18 weeks of 2026 compared with the same 2025 period: