The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 10, 2026.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 534,256 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included metallic ores and metals, up 3,621 carloads, to 22,048; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,560 carloads, to 10,508; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,405 carloads, to 16,320. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 were coal, down 1,156 carloads, to 57,526; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 1,009 carloads, to 16,863.
For the first 40 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,142,597 carloads, up 2.7 percent from the same point last year; and 11,379,949 intermodal units, up 4.4 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2026 was 20,522,546 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending October 10, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,457 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 386,946 intermodal units, up 9.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 725,403 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2026 was 28,096,978 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1 percent compared with 2025.
Canadian railroads reported 95,045 carloads for the week, down 0.1 percent, and 71,855 intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 40 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,584,977 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 11,408 carloads for the week, up 10.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,839 intermodal units, up 22.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2026 was 989,455 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 4.5 percent from the same point last year.