Association of American Railroads

This June, for , we're spotlighting how railroaders use advanced technology to work together to keep the rail network safe. At CSX, railcar safety begins with skilled inspectors who use their training and experience to perform thorough visual inspections every day — the foundation of safe operations.

Their work is reinforced by more than 1,000 wayside detectors across the network that monitor bearing and wheel temperatures in real time. In CSX mechanical shops, inspections go even deeper with magnetic particle testing that detect subsurface defects and hairline cracks not visible to the naked eye.

Together, human expertise and advanced tools help identify potential risks early — supporting safe, reliable service across the network.

U.S. railroads are on the move! Our Policy and Economics team reports total U.S. rail traffic up 7.2% for the week ending June 13, 2026, compared with the same week last year.

Key highlights this week:

🌾 Grain: +21.7%

🪨 Metallic ores & metals: +19.2%

🛢️ Petroleum and Petroleum Products: +7.4%

📦 Carloads: +2.8% year-over-year

🚛 Intermodal: +10.9% year-over-year

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Resiliency is a key piece of rail safety. This June, for , we're spotlighting how railroads are strengthening their ability to respond to emerging risks like wildfires.

At Canadian National Railway Company, that includes a firefighting train fleet designed to deliver large volumes of water in remote areas. During the 2024 Jasper wildfires, CN’s firefighting trains supplied millions of gallons of water to crews battling flames in areas unreachable by road — helping increase water capacity and support suppression efforts.

Building on that experience, CN has more than doubled capacity to 110,000 gallons and expanded its fleet and equipment to improve speed, reach, and flexibility. By investing in preparedness and working alongside local responders, CN is strengthening response capabilities and protecting the people and communities along its network.

This June, for , we're spotlighting the people and technology working together to keep our rail network safe. At Union Pacific Railroad, AI-powered Machine Vision helps track inspectors do their jobs with greater precision.

The system combines high-resolution cameras, sensors, and AI software to scan track infrastructure and surface data that teams can act on — helping to identify emerging issues before they affect safety or service. In 2025, Union Pacific teams inspected more than 644,000 miles of track using geometry systems that generated over 100 billion measurements.

That data is converted into practical insights inspectors use in the field every day. Technology like this supports the judgment of the skilled professionals who keep our railroads operating safely.

U.S. railroads are on the move! Our Policy and Economics team reports total U.S. rail traffic up 7.8% for the week ending June 06, 2026, compared with the same week last year.

Key highlights this week:

🌾 Grain: +9.2%

🪨 Metallic ores & metals: +9.1%

🚘️ Motor Vehicles and Parts: +6.1%

📦 Carloads: +1.0% year-over-year

🚛 Intermodal: +13.6% year-over-year

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