U.S. Rail Traffic Climbs 7.1% Year-over-Year in Week Ending June 20, 2026, Driven by Strong Intermodal and Select Commodity Gains

Published: June 25, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) released its latest Weekly Rail Traffic report today, showing continued momentum in North American freight rail volumes. For the week ending June 20, 2026 (Week 24), U.S. railroads moved 521,998 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1% from the same week in 2025.

This marks another solid week of growth, following gains of 7.2% the prior week and 7.8% two weeks earlier. The increase was fueled primarily by robust intermodal performance and gains in key carload categories, despite some softness in coal and a few other segments.

Arcade & Attica RS-3u #114 leads a string of tank cars near Arcade, New York on September 18, 2025. Doug Kroll photo.

U.S. Weekly Breakdown

Total carloads: 233,259 — up 1.6% year-over-year (YoY).
Intermodal units (containers and trailers): 288,739 — up 12.1% YoY.

Seven of the ten major carload commodity groups posted increases compared to the same week last year.Notable commodity highlights (this week volumes and selected changes):

Metallic ores and metals: 24,579 carloads (+2,294 carloads / +10.3%)
Grain: 22,993 carloads (+1,752 carloads / +8.2%)
Nonmetallic minerals: 32,793 carloads (+1,333 carloads)
Coal: 55,786 carloads (down 3,541 carloads)
Miscellaneous carloads (“Other”): 9,376 carloads (down 1,346 carloads)
Motor vehicles and parts: 16,074 carloads (down 195 carloads)

Other groups showing gains (per AAR highlights) included forest products (+9.0%).

Full U.S. commodity volumes for the week (from the detailed AAR report):

Chemicals: 33,067
Coal: 55,786
Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food: 18,179
Forest Products: 8,768
Grain: 22,993
Metallic Ores and Metals: 24,579
Motor Vehicles and Parts: 16,074
Nonmetallic Minerals: 32,793
Petroleum and Petroleum Products: 11,644
Other: 9,376

Total U.S. carloads summed to 233,259.

North American Overview

Across nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads:

Total carloads: 337,841 — up 0.9% YoY
Intermodal units: 376,727 — up 9.2% YoY
Grand total traffic: 714,568 carloads and intermodal units — up 5.1% YoY

Regional breakdowns:

Canada: 90,469 carloads (+1.0% YoY) and 73,174 intermodal units (–3.1% YoY). Total Canadian traffic: 163,643 units.
Mexico: 14,113 carloads (–10.1% YoY) and 14,814 intermodal units (+24.0% YoY). Total Mexican traffic: 28,927 units.

Year-to-Date Performance (First 24 Weeks of 2026)

U.S. railroads have shown steady cumulative growth:

Carloads: 5,449,203 — up 3.2% from the same period in 2025
Intermodal units: 6,691,916 — up 3.0%
Total combined U.S. traffic: 12,141,119 units — up 3.1%

North American YTD total: 16,708,419 carloads and intermodal units — up 2.7% YoY.

Canadian YTD traffic rose modestly (+0.6%), while Mexican railroads posted stronger cumulative growth (+8.0%).

Context and Trends

Intermodal traffic continues to be the standout performer, reflecting ongoing strength in containerized freight, possibly tied to consumer goods movement and supply chain normalization. Grain and metallic ores/metals have shown particular resilience, with grain volumes boosted by agricultural cycles.

Coal volumes remain under pressure (a multi-week trend), while automotive-related traffic saw a slight dip this week. Overall, the data points to a resilient freight rail sector amid mixed economic signals.

These weekly figures align with broader indicators, such as the AAR Freight Rail Index and monthly overviews noting record YTD container traffic and strong grain performance earlier in the year.

Next release: Expected around July 1, 2026, for the week ending June 27.

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U.S. Rail Traffic Climbs 7.1% Year-over-Year in Week Ending June 20, 2026, Driven by Strong Intermodal and Select Commodity Gains

U.S. Weekly Breakdown

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North American Overview

Year-to-Date Performance (First 24 Weeks of 2026)

Context and Trends