US rail traffic hits intermodal record as October freight gains signal economic resilience, says AAR

U.S. railroads set an intermodal traffic record in October as shipments rose across much of the freight economy, evidence of resilient demand despite inflation, higher interest rates and weak consumer confidence.

Intermodal volume rose 9.6% from a year earlier, with railroads handling an average of more than 298,000 containers and trailers per week — the highest weekly average for any month on record, according to the Association of American Railroads. Total carloads increased 3.4%, their strongest percentage gain in eight months, while carloads excluding coal climbed 4.5%.

Fifteen of the 20 carload categories tracked by the AAR posted year-over-year increases in October, and 16 were higher through the first 10 months of 2026. The association said that breadth pointed to underlying industrial strength rather than simply a shift of freight from highways to rail.

The past three months were the three strongest U.S. intermodal months on record, according to the report. October, traditionally the busiest month as retailers prepare for holiday demand, included the first-, third- and fifth-highest-volume intermodal weeks ever recorded. Through October, intermodal traffic was up 4.7% from the same period last year, putting the industry on course for a new annual record, the AAR said.

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