U.S. rail freight volume rose 2.4% year-over-year in the week ending Aug. 1, 2026, reaching 526,410 carloads and intermodal units, with container and trailer traffic again providing the growth engine, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as reported by FreightWaves.
Weekly rail traffic edges higher
FreightWaves reported that commodity carloads in the week totaled 233,171, a 0.4% decline from the same week in 2025, while intermodal volume of 293,239 containers and trailers jumped 4.8%. The result extended intermodal's lead over carload traffic, a pattern visible across the first 30 weeks of the year.
| U.S. rail weekly volume (week ending Aug. 1) | Volume | Y/Y change |
|---|---|---|
| Carloads | 233,171 | -0.4% |
| Intermodal units | 293,239 | +4.8% |
| Total | 526,410 | +2.4% |
Commodity winners and losers
Among the 10 carload commodity categories AAR tracks, seven posted gains. Metallic ores and metals typically used in steelmaking led the advance with a 9.1% increase, followed by petroleum and related products at 5.9% and farm products excluding grain and food at 5.4%, FreightWaves reported. On the downside, seasonally-weak coal traffic fell 7.7%, while chemicals slipped 2.3%.
North American rail volume
Across the nine U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads that report to AAR, combined weekly volume was 713,399 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5% year-over-year. Carloads rose 0.5% to 335,697, while intermodal climbed 4.3% to 377,702 units. The cross-border network's year-to-date total reached 20,931,511 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.9% gain, according to the same report.
Year-to-date performance
Through the first 30 weeks of 2026, cumulative U.S. rail volume stood at 15,229,711 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3% from the same period in 2025. Carloads totaled 6,811,496, up 2.7%, while intermodal reached 8,418,215 units, up 3.8%.
Intermodal volume rose 4.8% in the latest week, more than offsetting a 0.4% decline in commodity carloads.
| Year-to-date U.S. rail volume (30 weeks) | Volume | Y/Y change |
|---|---|---|
| Carloads | 6,811,496 | +2.7% |
| Intermodal units | 8,418,215 | +3.8% |
| Total | 15,229,711 | +3.3% |
Implications for shippers and operators
The split between intermodal growth and carload contraction tells freight forwarders and 3PL operators that containerized rail capacity remains the most reliable option on U.S. and North American networks, especially for shipments tied to steelmaking inputs, petroleum, and farm products. The 9.1% surge in metallic ores and metals suggests robust industrial demand. Shippers moving coal or chemicals, however, face softer traffic and should adjust routing expectations accordingly. The multi-country reporting — covering U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads — indicates cross-border intermodal corridors are expanding at a faster clip than domestic carload lanes.
Watch list
FreightWaves has scheduled three industry gatherings in Chattanooga, Tennessee: the Brokerage Compliance Symposium, the F3 Awards Dinner, and the F3: Future of Freight Festival. Key figures to watch in upcoming AAR weekly reports include intermodal's year-over-year growth, currently 4.8% weekly and 3.8% year-to-date, as well as coal's 7.7% decline and chemicals' 2.3% drop.
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