U.S. railroads heralded the approaching change of seasons with a memorably robust week for freight throughout the board.
The Affiliation of American Railroads rail site visitors for the week of Sept. 5 was 533,545 carloads and intermodal models, up 13.8% from the identical week in 2025.
Carload freight gained 8.9% to 234,397 carloads, whereas intermodal quantity of 299,148 containers and trailers was 18% higher y/y.
9 of 10 carload commodity teams have been higher from a 12 months in the past. They have been led by metallic ores and metals, 26.6%; grain, 24.1%, and farm merchandise excluding grain and meals, 15.3%.
Coal staged the lone retreat, down 5.8%.
For the primary 35 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative quantity of seven,986,328 carloads, a rise of two.8%, and 9,904,325 intermodal models, an increase of 4.2% y/y. Whole mixed U.S. site visitors was 17,890,653 carloads and intermodal models, up 3.6%.
North American rail quantity for the week on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 341,432 carloads, up 8.7% y/y, and 386,079 intermodal models, forward 15.9%. Whole mixed weekly rail site visitors in North America improved 12.4% to 727,511 carloads and intermodal models. Quantity year-to-date was 24,540,451 carloads and intermodal models, up 3.3% on 2025.
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