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A roundup of the week’s most-read rail — intermodal, Class I service, ports, and the bottlenecks in between.
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FreightWaves Rail · Oct 15, 2026 |
Sub: Class I & Regulatory |
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Rail data isn’t the problem. Acting on it is. Hear IntelliTrans SVP Matt Everson break down what bulk shippers are missing.
Get the insights → |
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| Bulletin Orders |
FWRX · No. 10·15 |
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From the desk of Stuart Chirls · Railroads · FreightWaves & Trains.com
Rail freight continues to center on an unusually strong volume year … Intermodal traffic has risen across the major U.S. Class I systems, with BNSF up 9.5%, CSX 8.3%, Norfolk Southern 5.1%, and Union Pacific 3.3% … growth is being driven by truck-to-rail conversion, manufacturing activity, and intermodal demand … though carriers are struggling to convert the added volume into fast, reliable service …
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| Featured · Intermodal · Volumes |
◆ Intermodal · Volumes
FreightWaves Rail · Oct 7, 2026
AAR reported total U.S. rail traffic of 529,712 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 3, up 5.1% year over year, with intermodal up 7.4% to 299,001 containers and trailers versus a 2.4% gain in carloads to 230,711; seven of ten commodity groups rose, led by metallic ores and metals at 12.8%.
| Signal |
Intermodal is outpacing carload gains by a wide margin, with year-to-date intermodal up 4.2% and carloads up 2.7% through 39 weeks, pointing to broad-based volume strength heading into the fourth quarter. |
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Read the full bulletin → |
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◆ Infrastructure · Ports
FreightWaves Rail · Oct 12, 2026
Louisiana Economic Development awarded a $1 million FastSites loan to close a funding gap on the $7 million rail spur linking the Port of Columbia to Union Pacific’s Monroe Subdivision, with bidding expected in November 2026 and construction running from the first quarter of 2027 into 2028.
| Signal |
Public rail access to UP’s main line for a rural river port could help the region attract new industry, including the planned Louisiana Green Fuels project. |
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Read the full bulletin → |
◆ Class I · Leadership
FreightWaves Rail · Oct 13, 2026
CSX Chief Operating Officer Mike Cory is retiring and will provide transition services through May 8, 2027; no successor was named, with senior vice presidents Doug Ryhorchuk and Casey Albright instead reporting directly to CEO Steve Angel.
| Caution |
A COO departure with no named successor, arriving as the UP-NS merger review moves forward, puts a spotlight on how CSX’s operations team is structured going forward. |
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Read the full bulletin → |
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Reading the Rails
Powered by  · Intermodal Dashboard
The week’s total U.S. rail carload volumes, pulled straight from SONAR’s Intermodal Dashboard.
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Total Carloads
232,004
▲ +0.56% w/w
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12-Mo. Average
225,978
▲ +2.7% above avg
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vs. 2025
188,673
▲ +23.0% above 2025
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vs. 2024
183,990
▲ +26.1% above 2024
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● SONAR · Total U.S. Carloads, 12-Month Trend — RTOTC.USA
Weekly total carloads edged up to 232,004 this week, up 1,293 cars (+0.56%) from last week’s 230,711, and running about 2.7% above the 12-month average of 225,978.
● SONAR · Total U.S. Carloads, Year-over-Year Comparison — RTOTC.USA (2023–2026)
Layered against the past three years, 2026’s carload volumes remain well ahead of the comparable year-end points in 2025 (188,673) and 2024 (183,990) — up roughly 23% and 26% respectively; the 2023 comparison line was again too overlapped with the others to read confidently.
| Signal |
A small rebound after last week’s dip keeps carloads comfortably above the annual average, consistent with steady, if unspectacular, fall demand. |
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Powered by · Intermodal Dashboard
See the whole rail picture in SONAR
Every figure above is live in SONAR’s Intermodal Dashboard — carloads, container volumes and year-over-year moves, refreshed daily across every mode.
Explore the Intermodal Dashboard → |
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October 27 – 28, 2026 · The Signal, Chattanooga
F3: Future of Freight Festival
FreightWaves’ flagship event blends rapid-fire tech demos and world-class speakers with the most legendary networking in logistics. Join 1,000+ freight and logistics experts, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators for a definitive look at the year ahead. Come for the insights, stay for the celebration and leave with the connections that will define your 2027.
Register Now → |
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