The rail freight rally continues.
Traffic on U.S. railroads increased by 7.2% from a year ago to 492,795 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 30, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Commodity shipments improved by 4% to 228,346 carloads, and intermodal volume was 264,449 containers and trailers, better by 10% y/y.
Intermodal has benefited from shifts by shippers challenged by a soaring trucking market, where tender rejections, rates and fuel costs are reaching weekly highs. The environment for motor carriers has also improved amid a capacity squeeze, the result of multi-pronged enforcement by federal authorities which have weeded out non-English speaking drivers, shuttered sketchy trucking schools, and sidelined chameleon carriers that reemerge with new identities after accidents.
The AAR said seven of 10 carload commodity groups posted y/y gains. Grain was again a leader, up 33.8%, followed by metallic ores and metals, 19.5%, and motor vehicles and parts, 9.1%.
Notably, miscellaneous unidentified ladings classified as Other were up 20.2%.
Coal led decliners, down 9%, along with petroleum and petroleum products, 3.4%, and nonmetallic minerals, 2.4%.
For the first 21 weeks of this year, cumulative U.S. volume of 4,756,909 carloads was 3.4% better from 2025, while 5,820,002 intermodal units improved 1.8%. Total combined traffic was 10,576,911 carloads and intermodal units, ahead by 2.5%.
North American rail volume for the week on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads increased by 2.7% to 336,920 carloads from a year ago. A total of 353,702 intermodal units was up 7.2%. Total combined traffic came to 690,622 carloads and intermodal units, better by 4.9%. Year-to-date volume edged up 2.3% to 14,567,984 carloads and intermodal units.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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