February 09, 2026
U.S. railroads total rail traffic was down 15.5 percent in the last week of January
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced that total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending was at 434,361 carloads and intermodal units, down 15.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending January 31 were 191,188 carloads, down 14.0 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 243,173 containers and trailers, down 16.6 percent compared to 2025.
One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. It was grain, up 637 carloads, to 22,655. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included coal, down 9,888 carloads, to 50,189; nonmetallic minerals, down 7,948 carloads, to 18,702; and motor vehicles and parts, down 4,374 carloads, to 11,311.
For the first four weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 863,558 carloads, up 4.4 percent from the same point last year; and 1,068,353 intermodal units, down 3.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first four weeks of 2026 was 1,931,911 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.1 percent compared to last year.
Source: AAR