The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 28, 2026.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 516,729 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 28 were 238,131 carloads, up 6.9 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 278,598 containers and trailers, down 2.5 percent compared to 2025.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included grain, up 4,210 carloads, to 25,210; coal, up 3,864 carloads, to 63,950; and chemicals, up 2,900 carloads, to 36,642. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included forest products, down 427 carloads to 7,905, and miscellaneous carloads, down 302 carloads to 8,599.
For the first eight weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,762,504 carloads, up 5.5 percent from the same point last year; and 2,191,101 intermodal units, down 1.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first eight weeks of 2026 was 3,953,605 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 28, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 345,406 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 366,411 intermodal units, down 0.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 711,817 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first eight weeks of 2026 was 5,442,179 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with 2025.
Canadian railroads reported 93,668 carloads for the week, up 2.5 percent, and 74,256 intermodal units, up 11.3 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first eight weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,274,116 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.5 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 13,607 carloads for the week, down 22.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,557 intermodal units, down 4.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first eight weeks of 2026 was 214,458 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 17.0 percent from the same point last year.
