United States rail carload and intermodal volumes saw gains in April, according to the new edition of the “Rail Industry Overview (RIO),” which was recently published by the Washington, D.C.-based Association of American Railroads (AAR). “Rail volume or rail traffic data in general is usually seen as a very important and solid indicator of what's happening in the economy,” he said. “Rail traffic is being driven by diverse sources of demand, not just by a few key sectors,” said AAR. “Year-to-date intermodal volume through July this year is a record-high,” said AAR. In collectively looking at U.S. July carload and intermodal volumes, AAR explained that July extended a pattern that has persisted throughout much of 2026: growth in most rail carload categories and exceptional intermodal volumes.