It was a clean sweep for U.S. rail freight as all carload and intermodal shipments posted gains compared to a year ago.
For the week ending Jan. 24, total U.S. rail traffic was 481,708 carloads and intermodal units, up 6% from a year ago, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.
Commodity freight totaled 214,784 carloads, ahead by 13.7%, while intermodal volume edged up 0.5% to 266,924 containers and trailers.
All 10 carload commodity groups were higher y/y, led by nonmetallic minerals such as stone and sand, 34.6%; grain, 18.2%; chemicals, 17.3%, and coal, 12.7%. Commodities that don’t fit any category classed as “other” increased 15.1%.
For the first three weeks of this year, U.S. cumulative volume of 672,370 carloads was up 11.2% y/y, and 825,180 intermodal units were ahead by 1.2%. Total combined U.S. traffic was 1,497,550 carloads and intermodal units, better by 5.5% from a year ago.
North American rail volume on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads reached 317,001 carloads, up 10.1% y/y, and 347,873 intermodal units finished ahead by 1.3%. Total combined traffic increased by 5.3% to 664,874 carloads and intermodal units. Volume for the first three weeks of 2026 was 2,056,530 carloads and intermodal units, a gain of 4.7% from 2025.
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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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