Falling intermodal traffic has again led to a drop in weekly U.S. rail volume compared to 2024.
For the week ending Dec. 6, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, the overall volume of 508,999 carloads and intermodal units was down 2.3% from the same week a year ago. That overall figure included 228,823 carloads, up 1.7%, and 280,176 containers and trailers, down 5.4%.
It is the ninth consecutive week that total traffic has been down compared to the corresponding week a year earlier. The last time the overall figure was above 2024 levels was in the week ending Oct. 4.
Grain, 8.4%, coal, 5.4%, and nonmetallic minerals, 4.1%, led five commodity carload gainers. Forest products and chemicals were down 4,2% and 3.1%.
Through 49 weeks of 2025, total U.S. traffic was 24,166,363 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.8% over the same period a year ago. The 10,889,132 carloads in that overall figure represent a 1.8% gain, while the 13,277,231 intermodal units are also a 1.8% increase.
North American volume for the week, as reported by nine U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 697,896 carloads and intermodal units, a decline of 1.2%. The 335,803 carloads were a gain of 1.9% over the same week in 2024, while the 362,093 intermodal units were down 4%. The year-to-date total of 33,276,063 carloads and intermodal units is up 1.7% over the first 49 weeks of 2024.
In Canada, weekly traffic included 94,333 carloads, up 2.5%, and 67,966 intermodal units, down 1.8%. For the year to date, the cumulative volume of 7,943,671 carloads and intermodal units is up 2.3% from the first 49 weeks of 2024.
The week’s traffic in Mexico included 12,647 carloads, up 2.3%, and 13,931 intermodal units, up 18.4%. For the year, the total volume of 1,166,029 carloads and intermodal units is down 5% from the first 49 weeks of 2024.
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