The Association of American Railroads reported that U.S. rail traffic increased for the week ending Jan. 10, reflecting gains in both carloads and intermodal volume.
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic reached 510,457 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 9.7% compared with the same week last year. Carload volume totaled 232,803, up 16.7% from the same week in 2025, while intermodal traffic rose to 277,654 containers and trailers, an increase of 4.4%.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted year-over-year increases. Coal rose by 14,178 carloads to 66,374, nonmetallic minerals increased by 6,539 carloads to 28,766, and grain climbed by 4,956 carloads to 26,204. Forest products were the lone declining category, falling by 748 carloads to 7,838.
For the first week of 2026, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 232,803 carloads, up 16.7% from the same point last year, and 277,654 intermodal units, an increase of 4.4%. Combined U.S. rail traffic for the week totaled 510,457 units, also up 9.7% year over year.
Across North America, nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 333,712 carloads for the week, up 11.1%, and 362,772 intermodal units, up 4.8%. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America reached 696,484 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 7.7% from a year earlier.
Canadian railroads reported declines in both carloads and intermodal traffic for the week, while Mexican railroads posted sharp gains in both categories.
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