The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 11, 2026.
Freight on U.S. railroads remained comfortably ahead of year-ago levels, but intermodal traffic slowed as some Class Is are struggling to manage a surge.
Volume totaled 503,525 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending July 11, the Association of American Railroads reported, up 1.5% from the year-ago week.
Carload freight came to 223,040 carloads, off a narrow 0.4%, while intermodal totaled 280,485 containers and trailers, better by 3% y/y but off from the 12.9% bulge a week ago.
Some data has shown a slowdown over some networks amid the surge in peak season imports. A record June has containers waiting an average of five days for rail transit out of the Port of Los Angeles, about a day longer than usual.
Online platform Drayage.com saw demand in Chicago hit an all-time high for the year at 3,618 unique clicks in one day Wednesday, said President Jason Hilsenbeck on LinkedIn, up from an average 2,500 per day. “If you are trying to find drayage coverage in Chicago,” he wrote, “[you’ll] need to pay a higher rate.”
Grain, as the category has for several months, led eight of 10 carload commodities posting y/y gains. It was followed by petroleum and related products, 7.4%, and metallic ores and metals, 6.7%.
Shipments of forest products, which have struggled against a difficult housing market, pulled even, off just .03% from the previous year. The latest data shows housing inventory higher and asking rents and list prices softening, according to several trackers.
Through week 27, cumulative volume was 6,117,342 carloads, better by 3.1%, and 7,534,897 intermodal units, up 3.6%, y/y. Total combined traffic was 13,652,239 carloads and intermodal units, ahead by 3.4%.
The week’s volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,006 carloads, up 1.1%, and 368,073 intermodal units, an increase of 3.4%, y/y. Total traffic rose 2.3% to 695,079 carloads and intermodal units. Volume year-to-date gained 2.9% to 18,792,861 carloads and intermodal units.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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