Which commodities drove the strongest growth in rail freight this week?

Metallic ores and metals led the way with 9.5% growth, followed by petroleum and related products at 9.4%, and chemicals at 7.2%. These three categories accounted for the majority of the week-over-week gains among carload commodity groups.

Why is intermodal freight growing faster than traditional carloads?

Intermodal containers and trailers reached 301,610 units, up 6.3% compared to the prior year, outpacing carload growth of 3%. This reflects the ongoing shift toward containerized, e-commerce-driven logistics and the flexibility of intermodal solutions for time-sensitive shipments.

What is the outlook for coal shipments going into winter?

Coal shipments remain under pressure, down 2.1% for the week. Inventories have grown 1.4 million tons since the end of 2025 while domestic consumption is down 11.4% year-over-year. U.S. coal production through early September is down 2.4%, suggesting a structural headwind rather than temporary seasonal weakness.

How do year-to-date cumulative volumes compare to 2025?

Through 38 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported 8,679,882 carloads (up 2.7% year-over-year) and 10,778,696 intermodal units (up 4.1%), with total combined traffic of 19,458,578 units ahead 3.5%. North American traffic including Canada and Mexico showed similar momentum at 3.1% cumulative growth.

What industries should prepare for potential capacity constraints?

Metals, chemicals, and petroleum shippers should monitor capacity, as these sectors are driving growth in rail freight. Automotive shipments, however, declined 1.8%, suggesting some sector-specific softness that may ease pressure on certain rail corridors.

Demand Planning

Moderate

Rail Freight Hits 4.85% Growth: Metals and Chemicals Lead Surge

Sep 30, 2026

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The signal

U.S. rail freight delivered another strong performance with total weekly traffic of 537,397 carloads and intermodal units, representing a 4.85% increase compared to the same week last year. Carload volume climbed 3% to 235,787 units while intermodal containers and trailers surged 6.3% to 301,610 units.

The growth was driven by robust shipments of metallic ores and metals (up 9.5%), petroleum products (up 9.4%), and chemicals (up 7.2%), signaling healthy demand across industrial sectors. However, weakness persisted in coal shipments (down 2.1%) and agricultural products excluding grain (down 3.3%), reflecting structural challenges in energy markets and seasonal agricultural patterns.

Year-to-date performance through 38 weeks shows cumulative carload volume up 2.7% and intermodal units up 4.1%, with North American combined traffic (including Canadian and Mexican rail) ahead 3.5% for the cumulative period. This data suggests that despite softness in traditional commodities like coal, the broader industrial and e-commerce logistics sectors are maintaining healthy momentum heading into the fourth quarter.

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