Chemical shipments percolate in latest rail data

Chemical shipments experienced a notable uptick in the latest rail data, marking a 6% increase compared to the same week last year. This upward trend comes after a series of downward fluctuations in the chemicals sector. Other commodities also saw growth, with metallic ores and metals rising by 9.5%, and grain up 9% week-over-week. However, the motor vehicles and parts sector faced a decline, slipping by 10.4% for the week.

In the broader context of the first 33 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 7,511,910 carloads and 9,301,986 intermodal units, both up 2.7% and 3.8% year-over-year, respectively. This resulted in a total combined traffic of 16,813,896 carloads and intermodal units, marking a 3.3% increase from the previous year.

North American railroads, represented by 9 reporting carriers, contributed significantly to this growth, with a 5.5% year-over-year increase in weekly volume and 5.6% in intermodal units. The total North American combined traffic for these carriers was 728,172 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.6% year-over-year. The cumulative figure for the first 33 weeks of 2026 stood at 23,071,332 carloads and intermodal units, reflecting a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2025.