U.S. freight-rail traffic climbs 9.7% in Week 1

U.S. freight railroads hauled 510,457 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Jan. 10, up 9.7% compared with traffic from the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the first full week of 2026 totaled 232,803, up 16.7%, while weekly intermodal volume totaled 277,654 containers and trailers, up 4.4%. 

Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted increases. They included coal, up 27.2% to 66,374 carloads; nonmetallic minerals, up 29.4% to 28,755; and grain, up 23.3% to 26,204.

The commodity group that logged a decrease in carloads was forest products, down 8.7% to 7,838.

Canadian railroads reported 87,561 carloads for the week, down 4.2%, and 70,664 intermodal units, down 1%. Mexican railroads posted 13,348 carloads, up 41.5%, and 14,454 intermodal units, up 65.5%.

For the first full week of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025:

• U.S. railroads posted 510,457 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.7%;
• Canadian railroads reported 158,225 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 27,802 carloads and intermodal units, up 53%.