U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 28, 2026 (Week 12) saw a slight uptick, the Association of American Railroads reported April 1. Volume totaled 515,921 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5% from the same week last year, with intermodal gains partially offset by carload softness.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report into the derailment of an iron ore train near Saumon Station, Quebec.
The 2026 Economic Impact Report for the rail supply industry is now available (download below). Produced in partnership with Oxford Economics, it updates the 2023 edition and is supported by the Railway
North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2026 (ending March 21) was up 2.1% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. The United States, Canada and Mexico all experienced gains.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted for second-quarter 2026 the rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF), which is defined as “an index formulated to represent changes in railroad costs incurred by the nation’s largest railroads over a specified period of time.”
North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2026 (ending March 14) was up 2.4% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. The United States, Canada and Mexico all experienced gains.
For the week ending March 7, 2026, total U.S. rail traffic rose 3.5% from the same point last year, marking the fourth consecutive week of traffic upticks, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.
Nearly 400 representatives from Class I’s and short lines to suppliers, contractors, and the associations that represent them advocated for the freight rail industry on March 4 at Railroad Day on Capitol
For the week ending Feb. 28, 2026, total U.S. rail traffic rose 1.6% from the same point last year, with carload gains offsetting intermodal losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report. This marked the third consecutive week of traffic upticks.
For Week 7 (ending Feb. 21, 2026), total U.S. rail traffic rose 10.7% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads reported Feb. 25.
