AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending May 9, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 13, 2026 - The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 9, 2026.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,755 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 9 were 229,592 carloads, up 3.3 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 284,163 containers and trailers, up 4.0 percent compared to 2025.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included grain, up 3,448 carloads, to 24,113; metallic ores and metals, up 1,968 carloads, to 20,487; and chemicals, up 1,947 carloads, to 34,279. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 were coal, down 1,402 carloads, to 54,953; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,228 carloads, to 8,456; and nonmetallic minerals, down 58 carloads, to 32,600.

For the first 18 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,067,235 carloads, up 3.6 percent from the same point last year; and 4,982,091 intermodal units, up 0.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 18 weeks of 2026 was 9,049,326 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 9, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,095 carloads, up 2.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 371,416 intermodal units, up 2.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 707,511 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2026 was 12,468,690 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.0 percent compared with 2025.

Canadian railroads reported 92,948 carloads for the week, down 1.4 percent, and 74,677 intermodal units, down 6.4 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 18 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,940,777 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 13,555 carloads for the week, up 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,576 intermodal units, up 27.0 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 18 weeks of 2026 was 478,587 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 16.3 percent from the same point last year.

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For more information, contact: AAR Media Relations at [email protected] or 202-639-2345.

About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org.

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