U.S. rail freight falls 3.7% to 494,865 carloads in week ending Sept. 12

U.S. railroads moved 494,865 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Sept. 12, a 3.7% drop from the same week a year ago. Intermodal volume slipped 4.1% to 271,305 containers and trailers, while motor vehicle and parts shipments plunged 18.8% leading the decliners.

Grain, petroleum and forest products were the only three of ten carload commodity groups to gain, rising 17.3%, 6.5% and 2.1% respectively. For the first 36 weeks of 2026, total rail traffic reached 18,385,518 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4% year‑over‑year, driven by a 2.7% rise in carloads and a 4% gain in intermodal. North American railroads reported 326,500 carloads and 353,081 intermodal units for the week, down 3.3% and 3.8% respectively, bringing combined traffic to 679,581 units, a 3.6% decline.

What we know

Weekly rail traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 494,865 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Sept. 12, down 3.7% from the same week a year ago.
Intermodal volume of 271,305 containers and trailers was weaker by 4.1%, y/y.
Motor vehicles and parts led decliners, down 18.8%.
Total traffic of 18,385,518 carloads and intermodal units improved by 3.4% from a year ago.
North American volume for the week on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 326,500 carloads, down 3.3%, and 353,081 intermodal units, off 3.8%, from 2025. Total combined traffic reached 679,581 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 3.6%.