US railway weekly freight volume achieved year-over-year growth, with strong performance in the intermodal sector.

U.S. Railroad Weekly Freight Volume Sees Year-over-Year Growth, Intermodal Sector Performs Strongly

Key Data Interpretation

According to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) on June 19, for the week ending June 13, U.S. rail carloads totaled 230,959, an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year. This figure is higher than the 228,076 carloads in the previous week (ending June 6) and the 228,346 carloads in the week ending May 30, indicating a gradual recovery in rail freight demand.

More notably, the intermodal sector—including containers and trailers—reached 289,447 units, a significant year-over-year increase of 10.9%. Although slightly lower than the 293,748 units in the week ending June 6, it is clearly above the 264,449 units in the week ending May 30, suggesting that the intermodal market continues to maintain strong growth momentum after seasonal fluctuations.

On a cumulative basis, for the first 23 weeks of 2026 (through June 13), total U.S. rail carloads reached 5,215,944, up 3.2% year-over-year; total intermodal units reached 6,403,177, up 2.7% year-over-year.

Performance Divergence by Commodity Category

• Among the ten carload commodity categories tracked by AAR, six achieved year-over-year growth. The categories with the largest increases include:
• Grain: increased by 4,283 carloads to 23,988 carloads
• Metallic ores and metals: increased by 3,964 carloads to 24,604 carloads
• Nonmetallic minerals: increased by 1,313 carloads to 32,342 carloads

• Categories that experienced declines during the same period include:
• Coal: decreased by 4,893 carloads to 53,955 carloads
• Chemicals: decreased by 364 carloads to 32,534 carloads
• Forest products: decreased by 130 carloads to 8,061 carloads

The continued decline in coal volumes warrants attention. As a traditional pillar commodity for rail freight, the decline in coal may reflect the accelerated energy structure transition and the substitution effect of natural gas and renewable energy. Meanwhile, growth in grain and metallic ores benefits from agricultural exports and a recovery in manufacturing activity.

Supply Chain and Logistics Impact Analysis

The steady growth in rail freight data sends a positive signal for the North American supply chain. The double-digit increase in intermodal volume particularly indicates that intermodal transport, as a key mode connecting ports, inland hubs, and terminal markets, is benefiting from growth in container imports. Recently, container throughput at U.S. West Coast ports (such as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach) has steadily increased, with some volumes moving via rail to the Midwest and East Coast, driving intermodal demand.

For logistics companies, rail capacity constraints may have eased somewhat, but the transit time on premium intermodal routes still requires attention. The capacity freed up by the decline in coal is expected to be filled by other commodity categories, contributing to a balanced transportation network. However, the decline in chemicals and forest products may imply weak demand in certain manufacturing sectors, warranting further monitoring.

Future OutlookBased on recent multi-week data from the AAR, US rail freight is showing a moderate growth trend. If the macroeconomy remains stable, the traditional peak seasons in the second half of the year (such as grain harvest and holiday commodity transportation) are expected to further boost volume. However, attention should be paid to geopolitical risks, energy price fluctuations, and the potential impact of railway labor negotiations on operational efficiency.

*This article is based on the weekly statistics released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) on June 19, 2026.*