U.S. rail freight traffic for the week ending May 23 totaled 523,574 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.2% year-over-year, according to the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal volume rose 11.5% to 292,743 units, while carloads increased 2.2% to 230,831. Grain shipments led commodity gains at +15.3%, followed by metallic ores and metals (+9%). Year-to-date through Week 20, total U.S. rail volume stood at 10,084,116 units, up 2.3% annually. North American rail volume across U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads rose 7.2% weekly and 2.1% year-to-date.
Shipments of forest products returned to earth after a brief comeback last week, but that didn’t drag down strong U.S. railfreight volumes as intermodal led data higher.
U.S. weekly rail traffic up 7.2% year-over-year
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending May 23 was 523,574 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.2% compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Freight totaled 230,831 carloads, up 2.2%, while intermodal volume of containers and trailers was 292,743 units, better by 11.5% y/y.
Commodity group performance
Six of 10 carload commodity groups tracked by AAR were higher y/y. Grain remained the pacesetter, up 15.3%; followed by metallic ores and metals, 9%. Motor vehicles and parts shook off a slow year, up 2.3%.
Year-to-date U.S. rail volume
For the first 20 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads saw cumulative volume of 4,528,563 carloads, up 3.3%, and 5,555,553 intermodal units, a gain of 1.4% from the prior year. Total combined volume was 10,084,116 carloads and intermodal units, better by 2.3% y/y.
North American rail volume
North American rail volume for the week on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 340,946 carloads, an increase of 3.8%, and 381,548 intermodal units, up 10.3% from 2025. Total combined traffic was 722,494 carloads and intermodal units, ahead by 7.2%. North American rail volume for the first 20 weeks of 2026 improved 2.1% to 13,877,362 carloads and intermodal units.
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.
Related coverage
- UP refutes new AG claims, says it provided all answers in merger paperwork
- Short line rail hits T&I truck benefits, costly safety mandates
- AAR slams “hypocrisy” as Trump-backed rail safety measure is included in transportation funding bill
- UP CEO confident rail merger application checks all the STB’s boxes
Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Supply Chain AI Symposium
Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.
July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga — plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
