The forecast is calling for grain, grain, grain…with a slight chance of geopolitical disruption + a 40% probability that everything changes again before next week.

In Cloudy with a Chance of Carloads, Harris + David return with Telegraph’s Q2 2026 Market Consist. As we head into summer, they break down what they are seeing in data - mostly that grain carloads are looking really strong, chemical moves are definitely facing headwinds, + that shipper-friendly market we’ve all enjoyed this last year? It might just be closing up shop.

With the USMA renegotiation up in the air - which could easily impact cross-border freight volumes - the fact that 2026 is basically tracking on par with 2025 is actually something close to good news.

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

When conflict half a world away closes the Strait of Hormuz + sends West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude past $100 a barrel, the ripple effects don't just stay in the Middle East, they also show up on American railroads. In "Crude Intentions," Harris + David connect the dots between the escalating energy crisis + what it actually means for shippers, equipment owners, + Class I operating expenses.

David, a former US Department of Energy economist who once had to explain anything above $28 per barrel crude to the Secretary's office, puts the current numbers in sharp relief. The pair then digs into the mechanics of fuel surcharges, as well as railroad earning call expectations.

The episode spans everything from tanker cars to corn + soybeans. They also pull back the curtain to examine the US-China trade relationship + what a newly complicated energy dynamic could mean for intermodal volumes. The bottom line? When energy markets get this volatile, nothing on the freight rail network is insulated.

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

In this episode of “Talk Track”, David sits down with Larry Gross - a 46-year rail industry veteran, award-winning “intermodalist,” + long-time market analyst - to tackle the tough question: does US intermodal have a long-term growth problem? Larry breaks down the data behind his viewpoint - comparing intermodal’s 10-year performance to GDP, import TEUs, + long-haul truckload. He also explains why intermodal share has stagnated despite nearly constant claims that it is actually the industry’s growth engine.

David + Larry break down the intermodal math that really matters to shippers: rail doesn’t have to beat truck on speed, but it does have to beat it on cost. Larry argues that years of simplification + interline avoidance may have optimized the railroads…perhaps at the expense of leaving growth on the table.

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

In “A Series of Uncertain Events”, Harris + David break down the “Telegraph Market Consist” for 1H 2026 + what the next three to six months may hold for freight rail. The outlook is…murky, with carload volumes projected to dip 3–5% + intermodal 5–6%. The bright side? This all potentially ripens the conditions for what looks like a shipper’s market.

They unpack the forces behind those lower volumes - from international trade headwinds + tariff turbulence to weaker domestic indicators. They also dive into lanes where intermodal is gaining ground versus truckload. For rail shippers the message is pretty simple: in a cycle like this, leverage matters + this may be just the moment to use it.

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

The merger saga just took a dramatic turn. In “The STB Strikes Back”, Harris + David are breaking down the STB’s decision to reject the UP-NS application, as well as what that could signal for the future of the potential transcontinental railroad.

After months of speculation by everyone from competitors to customers, we have finally seen some actual regulator input + that alone has brought a bit of surprise +, quite possibly, even more questions. Stay tuned - this epic is just getting underway + there is plenty more drama to come!

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

The proposed Union Pacific + Norfolk Southern merger has been framed as a means of establishing more competition among railroads, but is this message supported by the math? In “The Importance of Being Competitive”, David is joined by guest host Dr. Jason Miller, a professor of Supply Chain Management at the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, to help break down the logic behind this proposed deal. Jason argues that the rail industry’s volume challenges will not be solved through consolidation.

David + Jason examine whether a merged UP + NS truly creates value for shippers, unlocks new rail conversion opportunities (spoiler alert: Jason doubts it), + what it means for one carrier to control over 40% of many commodities tracked by the STB. Is this merger really about competition or just the appearance of it?

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

Telegraph’s first-ever Market Consist is here and Harris + David are pulling back the curtain on what the data really tells us about the state of freight rail.

From intermodal’s potential slowdown and Chicago hub velocity to the role of USMCA in protecting critical cross-border flows, they dig into where the industry stands and where it’s headed. Is the growth runway for intermodal as wide as many assume, or are capacity constraints closer than expected?

This inaugural report isn’t about saying “up a little here, down a little there.” It’s about actionable insights: what shippers can do, how to navigate tariff turbulence, and why even in a turbulent market, opportunities remain.

📈 Want to read the full Market Consist? Visit telegraph.io/insights.

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...

BNSF + CSX made waves by announcing a new coast-to-coast intermodal service designed to strengthen east to west connectivity - a timely counterpoint to the proposed UP + NS merger. In “Pride + Intermodal”, Harris + David discuss whether this is the start of a second mega-merger conversation (spoiler alert: Uncle Warren has indicated it’s not), and if this move could complicate things for UP + NS with the STB.

By dissecting the competitive angles, service implications, + bigger strategic game at play, Harris + David look at how the Class I’s are positioning themselves for the future. Is this a true thorn in the side of UP + NS? A response to a mandate? Or just an opportunistic play? Harris + David are digging into the details to help figure it out!

Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.

Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Our Hosts

Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.

David Correll is the Director of Freight Market Intelligence at Telegraph. He has spent two decades in transportation and logistics with the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clark University.

About Telegraph

Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that prov...