Freight carried by U.S. railroads loved one other sturdy week, in line with knowledge from the Affiliation of American Railroads.
U.S. weekly rail site visitors was 532,462 carloads and intermodal items, up 4.2% in contrast with the identical week a 12 months in the past.
Whole carloads for the week ending August 22 got here to 235,885 items, up 3.2%, whereas intermodal quantity was 296,577 containers and trailers, up 5% on 2025.
Seven of 10 carload commodity teams posted a rise in contrast with the identical week in 2025. They included metallic ores and metals , 9.5%; chemical compounds, up 6% after a number of down weeks; and grain, up 9%.
Motor autos and components slipped 10.4% for the week.
For the primary 33 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative quantity of seven,511,910 carloads, up 2.7%, and 9,301,986 intermodal items, up 3.8% y/y. Whole mixed site visitors was 16,813,896 carloads and intermodal items, a rise of three.3% from the earlier 12 months.
North American weekly quantity on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 340,627 carloads, up 5.5% y/y, and 387,545 intermodal items, up 5.6%. Whole mixed site visitors was 728,172 carloads and intermodal items, up 5.6%. North American quantity for the primary 33 weeks of 2026 was 23,071,332 carloads and intermodal items, up 3% in contrast with 2025.
Subscribe to BigRig’ Rail e-newsletter and get the newest insights on rail freight proper in your inbox.
Learn extra articles by Editor right here.
Learn extra:
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern defend rail merger utility as STB assessment advances
Norfolk Southern, Wabtec set locomotive upgrades to AC energy
Rail mega-merger revives proposal for brand spanking new, expanded Atlanta passenger providers — and there’s a trucking angle
Rail freight places the pedal to the steel(s) in newest knowledge
Regulators set schedule for assessment of UP-NS merger
The put up Chemical shipments percolate in newest rail knowledge appeared first on BigRig.


