Total U.S. weekly rail traffic came to 486,854 carloads and intermodal units in the latest week’s data, trailing the year-ago period by 3.2%.
Total commodities for the week ending Feb. 7 were 208,408 carloads, weaker by 4.8% compared with the same week in 2025, according to Association of American Railroads data. Intermodal volume was 278,446 containers and trailers, off 2% y/y. Import demand hit an earlier-than-usual lull mirrored by falling container rates on the trans-Pacific.
Oil led gains by three of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR. Petroleum and petroleum products finished ahead by 10.2%, followed by grain, 3.2%, and motor vehicles and parts, 2.6%.
Forest products, off 16%, bottomed out among commodity groups that posted decreases from a year ago. Nonmetallic minerals fell 11.7%, followed by metallic ores and metals, 6.8%, and coal, 6.2%.
Coal’s decline coincided with the Washington Coal Club this week presenting President Donald Trump with its inaugural “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal” award.
Through the first five weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads saw cumulative volume of 1,071,966 carloads, up 2.5% y/y, and 1,346,799 intermodal units, lower by 3.2%. Total combined U.S. traffic year-to-date was 2,418,765 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7%.
North American freight turned in narrow, and identical, positive indicators for the week on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads as total 309,723 carloads were up 0.1% y/y, and 361,789 intermodal units were also ahead 0.1%. Total combined traffic in North America was 671,512 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 0.1%. Volume for the first five weeks of this year was 3,338,702 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1% from 2025.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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