U.S. rail traffic rose 7.2% year-on-year to 492,795 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 30, according to the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal volume surged 10% y/y to 264,449 containers and trailers, driven by shipper shifts amid soaring trucking tender rejections, rates, and fuel costs. Commodity shipments grew 4% to 228,346 carloads, with grain up 33.8%, metallic ores and metals up 19.5%, and 'Other' unidentified ladings up 20.2%. Coal declined 9%. Year-to-date U.S. intermodal units totaled 5,820,022 — up 1.8% — while total combined traffic reached 10,576,911 units, up 2.5%. North American intermodal units rose 7.2% to 353,702.
The rail freight rally continues.
U.S. Rail Traffic Grows 7.2% Weekly
Traffic on U.S. railroads increased by 7.2% from a year ago to 492,795 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 30, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Commodity shipments improved by 4% to 228,346 carloads, and intermodal volume was 264,449 containers and trailers, better by 10% y/y.
Intermodal has benefited from shifts by shippers challenged by a soaring trucking market, where tender rejections, rates and fuel costs are reaching weekly highs. The environment for motor carriers has also improved amid a capacity squeeze, the result of multi-pronged enforcement by federal authorities which have weeded out non-English speaking drivers, shuttered sketchy trucking schools, and sidelined chameleon carriers that reemerge with new identities after accidents.
Commodity Group Performance
The AAR said seven of 10 carload commodity groups posted y/y gains. Grain was again a leader, up 33.8%, followed by metallic ores and metals, 19.5%, and motor vehicles and parts, 9.1%. Notably, miscellaneous unidentified ladings classified as Other were up 20.2%.
Coal led decliners, down 9%, along with petroleum and petroleum products, 3.4%, and nonmetallic minerals, 2.4%.
Year-to-Date and North American Volumes
For the first 21 weeks of this year, cumulative U.S. volume of 4,756,909 carloads was 3.4% better from 2025, while 5,820,002 intermodal units improved 1.8%. Total combined traffic was 10,576,911 carloads and intermodal units, ahead by 2.5%.
North American rail volume for the week on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads increased by 2.7% to 336,920 carloads from a year ago. A total of 353,702 intermodal units was up 7.2%. Total combined traffic came to 690,622 carloads and intermodal units, better by 4.9%. Year-to-date volume edged up 2.3% to 14,567,984 carloads and intermodal units.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
