AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending March 28, 2026

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 28, 2026.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,921 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending March 28 were 233,833 carloads, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,088 containers and trailers, up 1.6 percent compared to 2025.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included chemicals, up 2,027 carloads, to 36,589; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,129 carloads, to 11,239; and grain, up 819 carloads, to 24,010. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included coal, down 5,295 carloads, to 57,636; nonmetallic minerals, down 1,186 carloads, to 30,174; and metallic ores and metals, down 406 carloads, to 20,201.

For the first 12 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,684,108 carloads, up 4.2 percent from the same point last year; and 3,311,403 intermodal units, down 0.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2026 was 5,995,511 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 28, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,214 carloads, down 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 371,548 intermodal units, up 0.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713,762 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of 2026 was 8,245,424 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with 2025.

Canadian railroads reported 94,298 carloads for the week, down 2.4 percent, and 73,994 intermodal units, down 4.8 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 12 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,932,183 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 14,083 carloads for the week, down 18.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,466 intermodal units, up 16.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 12 weeks of 2026 was 317,730 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 10.2 percent from the same point last year.