US Weekly Freight Rail Performance (STB)
US weekly freight rail performance and train speed metrics from the STB.
| Indicator | 16-09-2026 | 09-09-2026 | 02-09-2026 | 26-08-2026 | 19-08-2026 | 12-08-2026 | 05-08-2026 | 29-07-2026 | 22-07-2026 | 15-07-2026 | 08-07-2026 | 01-07-2026 | 24-06-2026 | 17-06-2026 | 10-06-2026 | 03-06-2026 | 27-05-2026 | 20-05-2026 | 13-05-2026 | 06-05-2026 | 29-04-2026 | 22-04-2026 | 15-04-2026 | 08-04-2026 | 01-04-2026 | 25-03-2026 | 18-03-2026 | 11-03-2026 | 04-03-2026 | 25-02-2026 | 18-02-2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRAIN SPEED (mph)6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BNSF Railway7 | 25.5 | 24.4 | 24.5 | 24.8 | 24.4 | 24.7 | 24.9 | 24.8 | 24.7 | 25.1 | 24.5 | 24.6 | 24.5 | 24.4 | 24.8 | 25.3 | 25 | 24.7 | 25 | 24.9 | 25.3 | 25.4 | 25.7 | 25.5 | 25.2 | 25.2 | 25 | 26.1 | 26.2 | 26.2 | 26.7 | |
| Union Pacific7 | 24.3 | 23.8 | 23.6 | 23.9 | 24 | 24.2 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 24.4 | 24.3 | 24.4 | 24.3 | 24.6 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 25 | 24.9 | 24.7 | 25 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.4 | 24.7 | 25.4 | 25.3 | 25.5 | 25.7 | |
| CSX Transportation6 | 23.94 | 23.82 | 23.7 | 23 | 23.1 | 23.9 | 23.8 | 24.51 | 24.26 | 23.4 | 22.56 | 22.8 | 22.28 | 22.96 | 23.82 | 23.9 | 23.28 | 24.14 | 24.16 | 24.48 | 23.8 | 23.7 | 23.9 | 23.64 | 23.69 | 23.21 | 23.97 | 24.43 | 24.32 | 24.96 | 24.54 | |
| Norfolk Southern7 | 21.1 | 20.8 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 21.6 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.1 | 20.4 | 19.6 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 19.6 | 20.6 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.6 | 19.6 | 20.1 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.5 | 21 | 20.5 | 20.2 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 21.5 | |
| Canadian National (US operations)7 | 22.94 | 22.39 | 23.18 | 22.7 | 22.5 | 23.77 | 23.61 | 22.76 | 23.6 | 23.18 | 23.21 | 23.59 | 23.06 | 23.68 | 24.06 | 23.68 | 24.13 | 23.95 | 24.01 | 23.54 | 23.7 | 23.16 | 23.43 | 22.09 | 23.31 | 22.91 | 22.77 | 23.55 | 23.51 | 23.8 | 24.36 | |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City7 | 21.5 | 20.9 | 21.2 | 21 | 20.8 | 21.8 | 20.9 | 21.2 | 21.6 | 21.5 | 20.6 | 22.4 | 21.8 | 22.1 | 21.6 | 23.2 | 22.8 | 23.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 21.8 | 20.5 | 20 | 20.4 | 22.09 | 21.28 | 21.18 | 20.87 | 21.73 | |
| TERMINAL DWELL TIME (hours)6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BNSF Railway10 | 22.3 | 22.5 | 22.1 | 22.4 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 22.2 | 22.7 | 22.3 | 23.3 | 22.9 | 22.7 | 22.7 | 22.4 | 22.1 | 22.2 | 22.6 | 22.8 | 23 | 22.3 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 22.7 | 22.1 | 22.5 | 22.6 | 22 | 21.8 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 21.9 | |
| Union Pacific10 | 19.8 | 20.2 | 20 | 19.8 | 20.4 | 20.2 | 20 | 19.9 | 19.8 | 19.8 | 19.6 | 19.5 | 19.7 | 19.9 | 19.4 | 19.7 | 19.8 | 19.5 | 19.9 | 20 | 20 | 19.4 | 19.6 | 19.9 | 20.1 | 20.3 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.3 | |
| CSX Transportation10 | 21.44 | 21.04 | 20.96 | 21.95 | 21.4 | 21.03 | 21.37 | 21.52 | 21.69 | 23.74 | 23.11 | 23.08 | 22.64 | 22.27 | 21.11 | 22.26 | 22.14 | 21.8 | 21.4 | 20.74 | 20.97 | 21.48 | 22.51 | 22.06 | 21.92 | 22.19 | 21.91 | 21.92 | 22.12 | 21.03 | 22.28 | |
| Norfolk Southern10 | 24.5 | 24 | 23.7 | 23.6 | 22.8 | 22 | 22 | 22.2 | 22.5 | 23.3 | 23.5 | 23.9 | 25.3 | 23.8 | 23.7 | 25.2 | 25 | 24.6 | 23.8 | 23.5 | 23.9 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 22.9 | 22.3 | 23.2 | 22.6 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.2 | 21.8 | |
| Canadian National (US division)10 | 16.68 | 16.72 | 16.64 | 17.68 | 18.2 | 17.09 | 17.97 | 17.37 | 16.66 | 17.83 | 16.36 | 17.08 | 16.8 | 16.53 | 16.64 | 17.34 | 16.05 | 16.42 | 16.45 | 16.92 | 18.59 | 18.85 | 18.41 | 19 | 18.48 | 18.52 | 17.64 | 16.72 | 17.57 | 17.45 | 16.49 | |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City10 | 22.99 | 23.05 | 22.35 | 22.76 | 23.2 | 24.06 | 22.25 | 21.02 | 20.88 | 21.06 | 21.74 | 21.12 | 22.05 | 21.43 | 19.75 | 19.95 | 21.34 | 21.77 | 21.03 | 21.13 | 22.95 | 23.32 | 27.22 | 24.9 | 25.36 | 25.3 | 23.83 | 23.79 | 23.56 | 22.39 | 22.48 | |
| CARS ON LINE1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total railcars on network8 | 987,075 | 993,092.3 | 992,680.43 | 990,882.28 | 991,556 | 989,880.41 | 990,174.58 | 990,991.56 | 987,767.15 | 987,000.86 | 995,830.42 | 994,251.29 | 993,403.16 | 990,483.29 | 987,099.86 | 986,686.99 | 990,505.15 | 990,825.58 | 991,659.29 | 989,523.87 | 989,353.14 | 988,137.29 | 987,883 | 991,632.3 | 992,293.29 | 990,636.29 | 985,546.85 | 981,909.43 | 979,883.99 | 980,777.01 | 983,983.71 | |
| CARS IDLE OVER 48 HOURS2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loaded Railcars Idle Over 48 Hours9 | 12,046.41 | 12,122.44 | 12,019.19 | 12,902.27 | 12,437.3 | 12,231.66 | 11,849.24 | 11,856.01 | 11,588.03 | 13,016 | 12,698.14 | 12,945.4 | 13,855.77 | 11,907.56 | 10,558.64 | 12,211.33 | 12,446.43 | 11,717.71 | 11,981.43 | 10,963.77 | 10,868.03 | 10,505.86 | 11,616.61 | 11,332.4 | 11,716.39 | 12,488.79 | 10,868.87 | 10,315.21 | 10,813.8 | 10,339.21 | 10,407.39 | |
| Empty Railcars Idle Over 48 Hours9 | 10,367.23 | 9,778.06 | 9,741.27 | 9,693.3 | 10,014.73 | 9,971.86 | 10,109.14 | 9,795.47 | 10,810.41 | 11,103.77 | 10,996.6 | 10,711.87 | 9,828.07 | 8,809.2 | 10,157.91 | 10,082.96 | 9,710.74 | 9,707.47 | 9,229.23 | 9,231.97 | 8,871.39 | 10,222.41 | 10,362.5 | 9,871.13 | 10,472.83 | 9,167.46 | 9,197.29 | 9,771.99 | 9,458.51 | 9,457.93 | ||
| HELD TRAINS1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total trains held per day2 | 77.4 | 86.53 | 86.26 | 88.97 | 97.3 | 91.39 | 73.8 | 81.44 | 83.86 | 88.63 | 86.84 | 87.41 | 80.01 | 80.46 | 70.56 | 73.9 | 81.74 | 78.11 | 89 | 84.24 | 82.16 | 62.77 | 70.59 | 74.3 | 84.27 | 100.99 | 76.91 | 65.51 | 54.47 | 55.84 | 54.43 | |
| CHICAGO TERMINAL4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average terminal transit time | 30.4 | 30.4 | 29.9 | 30.7 | 34.5 | 33.9 | 36.2 | 34.9 | 33.1 | 36.8 | 34 | 36.6 | 38.3 | 32.9 | 30.4 | 31.4 | 33.3 | 32.3 | 34.1 | 32.3 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 34.6 | 34.2 | 33.7 | 33.8 | 31.9 | 30.3 | 31.8 | |
| Daily interline car interchange | 12,973 | 13,354 | 13,400 | 13,242 | 0 | 13,467 | 12,774 | 12,414 | 12,673 | 12,487 | 13,953 | 13,699 | 13,716 | 12,928 | 13,364 | 13,450 | 13,849 | 13,570 | 13,708 | 13,600 | 13,476 | 12,928 | 13,385 | 13,353 | 13,442 | 12,998 | 13,133 | 13,271 | 12,944 | 12,687 | 12,354 | |
| Car counts by classification yard11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yard dwell time by terminal11 |
Latest reading
BNSF Railway stood at 25.5 Miles per hour in Sep 16, 2026. That is +4.5% from Sep 9, 2026 and −3.8% from a year earlier. The series on this page is weekly and runs from Mar 29, 2017 to Sep 16, 2026. Source: Surface Transportation Board (STB) — Rail Service Data, EP 724.
- Latest
- 25.5 Miles per hour
- Sep 16, 2026
- vs previous period
- +4.5%
- Sep 9, 2026
- vs a year earlier
- −3.8%
Look up any date
Pick a date between Mar 29, 2017 and Sep 16, 2026 to see every series in this table on that day. If there is no reading that day (weekend, holiday, or a weekly release), the last reading before it is shown.
About this data
US weekly freight rail performance and train speed metrics from the STB. This table provides weekly Class I railroad data including train speed, terminal dwell time, cars on line, and held trains by carrier and commodity since 2017. Published by the Surface Transportation Board, it tracks network fluidity and congestion across major US rail corridors.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the US Weekly Freight Rail Performance table measure?
- It measures operational performance metrics for Class I railroads in the United States, including train speed in miles per hour, terminal dwell time in hours, cars on line, and held trains as reported to the Surface Transportation Board.
- How often is this railroad performance data published and how far back does it go?
- The data is published weekly by the Surface Transportation Board and historical series extend back to 2017, providing continuous tracking of rail network fluidity.
- What specific breakdowns are available in the table?
- The table includes carrier-specific aggregates as well as breakdowns by commodity type such as coal, grain, crude oil, and chemicals, alongside terminal-specific metrics for major hubs like Chicago.
- How does train speed differ across various types of rail traffic?
- Intermodal and coal trains typically operate at higher network speeds due to direct routing, whereas manifest trains experience slower speeds because of frequent switching and classification at multiple intermediate terminals.
