Union Pacific: Grain Transports Off to Record Start in 2026

The railroad surpassed its first quarter record of grain volumes previously set in 2008 amid renewed demand for U.S. feed grain for export.

“Our team’s ability to capture record volumes of grain is a testament to our focus as a railroad on providing tremendous service to our customers while operating our network at peak performance,” said Jason Hess, senior vice president – Bulk, Marketing and Sales. “Our network is running incredibly fast, allowing us to handle more volume, which is a win-win for the railroad and our customers.”

For example, Union Pacific grain shuttle velocity averaged 334 miles per day during the first quarter, compared to 294 miles per day in 2025. 

The renewed demand for U.S. feed grain comes after farmers harvested a record corn crop in 2025, with production up 14% from 2024.

Union Pacific’s commitment to operational excellence is a big reason for the fluidity of the railroad’s network, but two other key enhancements also have helped: investments in new grain hopper cars that can carry more grain and improved fluidity at the southern border.

Union Pacific has been adding new high‑efficiency covered hoppers to its fleet that can carry an additional 2,500 pounds and are 3 to 7 feet shorter than legacy cars. These design improvements allow more covered hopper cars per train within the same track footprint, increasing the total volume transported for our customers

In addition, a new crew change procedure at the Eagle Pass international border crossing has expedited the time it takes for trains to travel across the Mexican/U.S. border. The new procedure allows Mexican partner crews to travel seven miles from the border into Union Pacific’s Eagle Pass yard to interchange with U.S. crews rather than conducting a time-consuming crew change operation on an international bridge.

“The enhanced fluidity across the international bridge means we can handle more volume while delivering faster times to our customers,” Hess said.