The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 7, 2026.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,996 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 7 were 231,889 carloads, up 5.7 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,107 containers and trailers, up 1.8 percent compared to 2025.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included coal, up 4,464 carloads, to 62,480; grain, up 3,656 carloads, to 25,313; and chemicals, up 1,378 carloads, to 34,464. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 were nonmetallic minerals, down 297 carloads, to 28,142; and forest products, down 117 carloads, to 8,068.
For the first nine weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,994,393 carloads, up 5.5 percent from the same point last year; and 2,474,208 intermodal units, down 0.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first nine weeks of 2026 was 4,468,601 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.0 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 7, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 337,025 carloads, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 371,354 intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 708,379 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2026 was 6,150,558 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with 2025.
Canadian railroads reported 91,046 carloads for the week, down 0.1 percent, and 73,037 intermodal units, up 3.5 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first nine weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,438,199 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.4 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 14,090 carloads for the week, up 21.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,210 intermodal units, up 56.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first nine weeks of 2026 was 243,758 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 19.1 percent from the same point last year.
