The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 21, 2026.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 507,712 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 21 were 227,124 carloads, up 17.6 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,588 containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent compared to 2025.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included coal, up 10,972 carloads, to 58,828; grain, up 8,121 carloads, to 24,463; and nonmetallic minerals, up 5,365 carloads, to 28,181. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2025: forest products, down 137 carloads, to 8,242.
For the first seven weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,524,373 carloads, up 5.3 percent from the same point last year; and 1,912,503 intermodal units, down 0.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first seven weeks of 2026 was 3,436,876 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending February 21, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,836 carloads, up 15.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 364,182 intermodal units, up 9.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 695,018 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first seven weeks of 2026 was 4,730,362 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with 2025.
Canadian railroads reported 90,075 carloads for the week, up 14.0 percent, and 68,824 intermodal units, up 22.8 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first seven weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,106,192 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.0 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 13,637 carloads for the week, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,770 intermodal units, up 24.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first seven weeks of 2026 was 187,294 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 23.5 percent from the same point last year.
