Rail Pulse is Steel Wheel Logistics' weekly read on what actually moved on the U.S. rail network last week. Every figure is sourced from public AAR, STB, EIA, and USDA filings and linked at the bottom. Every word of analysis is anchored to those numbers — no estimates, no extrapolation.
The Number
Intermodal traffic climbed 12.1% year-over-year for the week ending June 20, 2026, reaching 288739 units and outpacing carload growth of 1.6%. Total rail traffic stood at 521998 cars and units, up 7.1% compared to the same week last year.
Network Health
BNSF is green with speed 24.5 mph and dwell 22.7 hours. UP is green with speed 24.4 mph and dwell 19.7 hours. CSX is yellow with speed 22.284050324303767 mph and dwell 22.64 hours. NS is red with speed 19.5 mph and dwell 25.3 hours. CPKC is yellow with speed 21.8 mph and dwell 22.05 hours. CN has dwell 18.46 hours (green) but no speed data available.
Color codes: green = speed ≥24 mph or dwell <22 hrs; yellow = speed 21–24 mph or dwell 22–26 hrs; red = speed <21 mph or dwell >26 hrs. Source: STB EP724 weekly Class I performance filings.
Fuel Watch
Diesel fuel hit 4.668 per gallon on June 29, down 3.39% from 4.832 the prior week and down 10.28% from June's prior-month average of 5.0238. The 12-week trend shows a steady decline from a peak of 5.64 on May 4. BNSF fuel surcharge holds at 62 cents per mile effective July 1; UP at 70 cents per mile; NS at 78 cents per mile; CSXT at 47 cents per mile; CN at 79 cents per mile; CPKC at 75 cents per mile.
Want to see how a fuel-surcharge change hits a specific lane? Run a free rail rate quote — FSC is broken out per leg.
Commodity Spotlight
Metallic Ores and Metals posted the largest YoY move with 10.3% growth for the week ending June 20, hitting 24579 carloads. Grain advanced 8.2% to 22993 carloads, and Forest Products rose 9.0% to 8768 carloads. Coal declined 6.0% to 55786 carloads, extending weakness seen across the YTD period.
Lane Watch
Lane demo data unavailable—the rate calculator timed out. Run an indicative estimate at steelwheellogistics.com/tools/rail-rate-quote.
Pricing a specific carload move? Run an indicative estimate through the live rail rate calculator. Already have cars on the ground? The demurrage calculator uses current Class I rate structures, and the transload directory lists rail-served terminals nationwide.
Sources
- AAR Weekly Rail Traffic Report
- STB Class I Weekly Performance Data (49 CFR 1250)
- EIA U.S. Weekly Retail On-Highway Diesel Average
- USDA AMS Grain Transportation Report
Rail Pulse is published every Tuesday morning, after the AAR Weekly Rail Traffic Report releases. We pull, validate, and compose — no figures are introduced beyond what these sources publish.