The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 4, 2026. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 501,328 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 4 were 229,243 carloads, up 1.0 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,085 containers and trailers, down 0.6 percent compared to 2025.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included grain, up 1,780 carloads, to 25,052; chemicals, up 1,492 carloads, to 34,933; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,264 carloads, to 10,734. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included coal, down 2,466 carloads, to 56,069; metallic ores and metals, down 1,133 carloads, to 19,743; and nonmetallic minerals, down 669 carloads, to 31,102.

For the first 13 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,913,351 carloads, up 3.9 percent from the same point last year; and 3,583,488 intermodal units, down 0.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 13 weeks of 2026 was 6,496,839 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 4, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,152 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 355,083 intermodal units, up 0.6 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 689,235 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 13 weeks of 2026 was 8,934,659 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with 2025.

Canadian railroads reported 92,179 carloads for the week, down 0.7 percent, and 70,143 intermodal units, down 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 13 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,094,505 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 12,730 carloads for the week, up 75.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,855 intermodal units, up 79.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 13 weeks of 2026 was 343,315 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 13.4 percent from the same point last year.

-via Press Release