U.S. grain transportation experienced significant growth in mid-February as rail and barge movements increased notably compared to prior periods, according to the latest Agricultural Marketing Service Grain Transportation Report.
Class I railroads originated 33,838 grain carloads during the week ending Feb. 14, marking a 25% jump from the previous week and a 46% increase from the same week last year. This figure also represented a 41% rise over the three-year average. Meanwhile, February secondary railcar bid prices climbed, with shuttle bids averaging $263 above tariff, a weekly increase of $100, though still $838 lower than the same week last year. Non-shuttle bids were $100 above tariff, up $75 from the preceding week.
Barge grain shipments also gained momentum. For the week ending Feb. 21, barged grain totaled 500,350 tons, up 6% from the prior week and 22% higher than last year. A total of 327 barges moved downriver, 29 more than the previous week. Unloading activity in the New Orleans region surged by 19%, with 770 grain barges processed.
Ocean vessel activity showed slight mixed trends: 28 oceangoing grain vessels loaded in the Gulf for the week ending Feb. 19, a 4% increase from last year, but 37 vessels expected in the following 10 days were 18% fewer than the same period in 2025. Shipping rates held steady, with Gulf-to-Japan grain freight at $54.25 per metric ton and Pacific Northwest rates up slightly to $30.50.
On the export front, unshipped balances of corn, soybeans, and wheat totaled 40.13 million metric tons, down 5% from the prior week but 17% higher than last year. However, net export sales fell sharply: corn declined 53%, soybeans 49%, and wheat 16% compared to the previous week.
