North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 7,531,662 carloads and intermodal units for the 11-week period ending March 21, 2026, the AAR reported March 25. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 5,479,590 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 1.8% from the same point last year; in Canada, 1,763,891 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3%; and in Mexico, 288,181 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.7%.
Results were similar through the first 10 weeks of this year (ending March 14, 2026).
For the week ending March 21, 2026, U.S. Class I railroads carried 502,252 carloads and intermodal units, rising 1.2% from the same week last year, according to the AAR. That comprised 227,853 carloads, up 1.2% from 2025, and 274,669 containers and trailers, up 1.2% from 2025.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included chemicals, up 2,158 carloads, to 36,302; coal, up 918 carloads, to 58,312; and grain, up 749 carloads, to 22,989. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included metallic ores and metals, down 1,122 carloads, to 19,087; forest products, down 361 carloads, to 7,841; and nonmetallic minerals, down 319 carloads, to 29,289.
For the first 11 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,450,275 carloads, up 4.7% from the same point last year; and 3,029,315 intermodal units, down 0.4% from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 21, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,402 carloads, down 0.2% compared with the same week last year, and 361,692 intermodal units, down 0.0% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 693,094 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.1%.
For the week ending March 21, 2026, Canadian railroads reported 90,910 carloads, a 2.7%, and 73,440 intermodal units, a 4.4% drop-off compared with the same week last year.
Mexican railroads reported 12,909 carloads for the week ending March 21, 2026, falling 6.0% from the same point last year, and 13,583 intermodal units, down 0.2%.
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