Surface Transportation Board Released Railroad Performance Data
The board mandated weekly reporting for Class I railroads following systemic service failures in 2022.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Transportation
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The Surface Transportation Board has released new weekly performance data for Class I railroads in the United States. This reporting requirement was established following widespread service issues related to crew shortages.
Why it matters
The board implemented these performance metrics to increase transparency and accountability for major rail operators. This data aims to prevent a repeat of the service reliability problems that disrupted national supply chains in 2022.
The manifest metric tracks deliveries arriving within 24 hours of their estimated arrival time. Independent analyst Rick Paterson compiled a 13-week performance history to contextualize the board's newly released data.
The players
Surface Transportation Board
This federal agency is responsible for the economic regulation of railroads in the United States.
Rick Paterson
He is an independent analyst who monitors and reports on the performance of the North American rail industry.
The details
The newly released performance metrics focus on manifest on-time delivery and the successful performance of scheduled service events, excluding intermodal traffic and unit trains. Railroads calculate these figures using their own internal business mixes and IT systems, as mandated by the board to track industry-wide consistency.
Timeline
Widespread service problems caused by crew shortages occurred in 2022.
Railroads began required weekly performance reporting on July 8, 2026.
Performance data became available to the public on September 29, 2026.
Analyst Rick Paterson published the State of the Rails report on October 2, 2026.
Market Landscape
This reporting requirement mirrors the push for increased transparency following the 2022 service recovery mandate. It positions the Surface Transportation Board as a primary oversight body managing the competitive dynamics of major rail carriers.
The increased public availability of performance data may improve the reliability of freight shipping for businesses that depend on rail logistics. Customers should monitor how these service metrics influence carrier reliability and shipping costs over time.
The takeaway
These reporting requirements reflect a permanent shift toward stricter federal oversight of national rail efficiency. Businesses that rely on rail logistics should use this publicly available performance history to inform their own shipping and supply chain strategies.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in United States Transportation.
More information
View the latest performance metrics on the Surface Transportation Board website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Trains.
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