A bumper crop of grain shipments helped lift U.S. rail freight in the latest week’s data that saw a mildly weaker decline for intermodal and most carload categories.
The Association of American Railroads said U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 17 totaled 505,385 carloads and intermodal units, up just 1.1% compared with the same week in 2025.
Total carloads increased 3.9% to 224,783 units y/y, while intermodal volume was 280,602 containers and trailers, off 1.1%.
Grain led only three commodity gainers at 24.5%, along with nonmetallic minerals, 14.7% and metallic ores and metals, 12.9%.
The largest dropoff among commodity groups was seen in forest products, down 3.6% y/y, followed by motor vehicles and parts, 3.3%, and chemicals, 2.2%. Coal was essentially flat at 0.7% lower than the previous week.
U.S. railroads for the first two weeks of this year reported cumulative volume of 457,586 carloads, 10% better y/y, and 558,256 intermodal units, ahead 1.6%. Total combined traffic was 1,015,842 carloads and intermodal units, a gain of 5.2%.
North American rail volume for the week on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican carriers totaled 327,894 carloads, an increase of 2.6%, and 367,278 intermodal units, a 0.2% rise. Total combined weekly rail traffic was 695,172 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3%. North American volume for the first two weeks of 2026 was 1,391,656 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.4% y/y.
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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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