Weekly commodity rail freight finished higher year-to-date on U.S. railroads even as weaker intermodal offset volume improvements.
Total U.S. rail traffic was 501,328 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending April 4, up just 0.1% from the same week a year ago, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.
Carloads totaled 229,243 units, up 1% y/y, while intermodal volume of 272,085 containers and trailers slid 0.6% percent compared to 2025.
Six of 10 carload commodity groups were markedly better y/y. Petroleum and petroleum products led all weekly gainers, up 13.3%; followed by farm products excluding grain and food, 7.6%, and grain, 7.6%.
Weekly declines were seen in metallic ores and metals, 5.4%, and coal, 4.2%.
(Chart: AAR)
Year to date, grain led all gainers, up 16.9%, followed by petroleum and petroleum products, 7.7%, and chemicals, 3.8%.
Grain shipments improved even as exports fell from the previous week. Corn volume was down about 7.6% week over week, but still within analyst expectations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybeans dropped sharply, down about 49.2% and below forecasts. Wheat fell about 17.1%, also a bit below expectations.
For the first 13 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,913,351 carloads, up 3.9%, and 3,583,488 intermodal units, down 0.2% from a year ago. Total combined traffic was 6,496,839 carloads and intermodal units, better by 1.6% y/y.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 4 on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,152 carloads, a gain of 2.1% compared with the year-ago week, and 355,083 intermodal units, ahead 0.6%. Total combined weekly was 689,235 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.3%. Volume was 8,934,659 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8% from 2025.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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