U.S. railroads recorded another strong week of freight activity, according to the latest weekly data from the Association of American Railroads, with chemical shipments rebounding after several weeks of declines.

Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 22 reached 532,462 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2% compared with the same week a year earlier. Carload traffic came to 235,885 units, up 3.2%, while intermodal volume totaled 296,577 containers and trailers, a 5% gain over 2025. Intermodal traffic, which moves goods in containers and trailers across multiple transport modes, is closely tied to consumer merchandise and international container shipping flows, making its continued growth a signal of sustained demand in goods-related freight.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted year-over-year increases for the week. Leading gainers included metallic ores and metals, up 9.5%; chemicals, up 6% after several down weeks; and grain, up 9%. Chemical carloads are considered one of the more economically sensitive rail categories, as they feed into plastics, fertilizers, and a wide range of industrial and agricultural supply chains, so the swing back to growth after consecutive down weeks will be worth tracking in coming weekly reports to see whether the rebound holds. Motor vehicles and parts was the notable laggard, slipping 10.4%.

For the first 33 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,511,910 carloads, up 2.7%, and 9,301,986 intermodal units, up 3.8% from the same period in 2025. Combined traffic for the year to date stands at 16,813,896 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.3% increase over the previous year.

North American figures, based on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads, showed weekly volume of 340,627 carloads, up 5.5% year over year, and 387,545 intermodal units, up 5.6%. Total combined North American traffic for the week was 728,172 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.6%. For the first 33 weeks of 2026, North American volume totaled 23,071,332 carloads and intermodal units, up 3% compared with 2025.

The Association of American Railroads, the industry trade group that compiles the weekly figures, is the primary source for U.S. and North American rail traffic data. Weekly rail traffic reports are closely watched indicators of freight demand across commodity groups, spanning sectors such as chemicals, grain, metals, automotive parts, and intermodal container traffic tied to consumer goods and international shipping.