Chemicals, autos lead as rail freight bests year-ago traffic

Intermodal declines in latest week

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Freight on U.S. railroads totaled 514,167 carloads and intermodal units, off 1.6% from the same week in 2024 but still ahead year-to-date.

Total freight for the week ending Sept. 13 came to 231,237 carloads, down 0.5%, while intermodal volume was 282,930 containers and trailers, off 2.6% compared to 2024.

Commodity gainers were led by chemicals, 7.5%, and motor vehicles and parts, 4.5%. Declines were seen in farm products except grain, 4.8%; coal, 3.7% and forest products, 3.1%, the Association of American Railroads said.

For the first 37 weeks of 2025, cumulative volume of 8,194,763 carloads was better by 2.3% y/y. Containers and trailers, or 10,007,894 intermodal units, improved by 3.8%. Total combined volume year-to-date was 18,202,657 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1%.

(Chart: AAR)

North American volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,615 carloads, down 0.5%, and 369,524 intermodal units, down 1.3% from a year ago. Combined traffic was 706,139 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.9%. Volume for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 25,051,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5% y/y.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.