Green over red for surging U.S. railfreight

Freight on U. S. railroads is resurgent nearly halfway into the year. The Association of American Railroads on Wednesday said volumes for the week ending June 6 totaled 521,804 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 7. 8% from the same week a year ago.

Carloads came to 228,076 units, up 1%, while 293,728 intermodal containers and trailers were better by 13. 6% from 2025. Six of 10 commodities posted gains as grain maintained its runaway lead, up 9. 2% for the week, followed by metallic ores and metals, up 9. 1%. Motor vehicles and parts were better by 6. 1%.

Improving home sales gave forest products a boost, ahead 3. 8%. Coal was seasonally weaker, down 4. 2%, followed by chemicals, dropping 1. 8%. Through the first 22 weeks of 2026, cumulative volume is 3. 3% ahead y/y at 4,984,985 carloads. A total 6,113,730 intermodal units is a gain of 2. 3%.

Combined traffic reached 11,098,715 carloads and intermodal units, ahead 2. 7% from 2025. North American rail volume for the week on 9 U. S. , Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,030 carloads, up 1. 7%, and 380,156 intermodal units, up 11% y/y. Combined traffic of 713,186 carloads and intermodal units, improved by 6. 4%.

North American volume for the first 22 weeks of 2026 was 15,281,170 carloads and intermodal units, up 2. 4% y/y. Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox. Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.