Association of American Railroads

Intermodal trailed carload traffic on U.S. railroads in the latest data from the the Association of American Railroads

Freight on U.S. railroads posted robust weekly gains led by higher energy and metals shipments.

A better than 1300% increase in grain shipments led a winning week for freight moving by rail in the U.S.

Rail freight demand hinges on sustained manufacturing, trade policy, and labor market developments, according to AAR.

Rail freight data showed a waiting game by U.S. shippers as commodity and intermodal volumes declined. 

Freight on U.S. railroads plunged into the red in the latest data, after posting across-the-board gains the previous week.

Rail freight volumes in the United States posted increases across the board in the latest weekly data. 

Grain helped lift U.S. rail freight in the latest week’s data amid weaker intermodal and carload shipments.

A bill signed into law by outgoing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy regulates hazardous-material trains in the state. 

U.S. rail carload freight and intermodal shipments for the first week of this year improved nearly by double-digits.

Rail traffic for U.S. railroads fell 4% for the week ending Jan. 3, 2026, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Volume for the week was 404,293 carloads and intermodal units, with 192,665 carloads, down 2.8% from the corresponding week a year earlier, and 211,628 containers and trailers, down 5.1%. Only chemicals, 2.3%, […]

Rail traffic fell 7% for the last full week of 2025 as intermodal was weaker by 4.3% year-on-year.

Rail freight has been below 2024 levels for eight consecutive weeks, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Intermodal shipments led U.S. rail freight lower in the latest weekly data but traffic remains higher year-to-date.

As an historic merger is set to reshape the U.S. supply chain, railroads say data proves they are the engine that powers the domestic economy.

Freight on U.S. railroads year-to-date stayed ahead of 2024 levels even as intermodal and carload shipments were weaker in the latest weekly data.

Rail freight commodities and intermodal shipments were lower in the latest week’s data but remained ahead of 2024 for the year.

Higher shipments of grain and nonmetallic minerals failed to offset intermodal’s decline, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Rail freight is mirroring the uneven U.S. economic outlook, according to the latest analysis from the Association of American Railroads.

A decline in intermodal shipments led U.S. railfreight volumes lower in the latest week data. 

U.S. rail traffic remained below 2024 levels for the third consecutive week and the sixth time in eight weeks, with both carload and intermodal traffic experiencing declines.

Rail carloads were evenly split among winners and losers as intermodal traffic led rail freight lower in the latest week.

Rail freight trended lower in the latest weekly data from the Association of American Railroads.

Intermodal traffic and carload freight were higher for a second consecutive week, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Rail freight posted its third-biggest drop this year as carload and intermodal shipments declined.

Customs and Border Protection will continue to fund cargo inspections and other essential services during a government shutdown.

Intermodal containers and trailers led a down week for U.S. rail freight, according to AAR data.

Chemical and automotive shipments led gainers as U.S. rail freight remained ahead of 2024 traffic.

The Trump administration is getting conflicting advice on how to fit railroad automation into the country’s long-term transportation strategy.

Freight moving by rail in the U.S. turned in modest improvement in the latest weekly data. 

Weaker intermodal traffic offset narrow gains in carload freight in the latest Association of American Railroads data.

Mexican train crews interchanging into the U.S. may pose a safety hazard due to lack of English language skills, a labor union warns.

Rail freight in the U.S. remained ahead of year-ago volumes for the sixth consecutive week, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Despite economic headwinds, U.S. rail freight shows resilience with increased intermodal and carload volumes in July.

Shipments of freight by rail continue to run ahead of year-ago levels, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads.

A proposal to exempt hazardous materials trucks from mandatory stops at rail crossings draws safety concerns from railroads and unions.

Carload freight and intermodal volumes ran ahead of year ago levels, according to the latest weekly rail data.

Rail freight turned in solid gains for the holiday week ending July.

Intermodal helped make CPKC the fastest-growing railroad in the second quarter.

Carload rail freight edged down in the latest week but stayed ahead of year-to-date levels.

Rail traffic was flat in the latest week data as softening demand for China imports likely hit intermodal volumes.

U.S. rail traffic was down for a second straight week y/y, the first back-to-back decline this year after 15 straight weeks ahead of 2024 levels.

Carload freight showed solid growth in May, but a marked decline in containers and trailers signals caution for the second half of this year.

DOT is looking to expand the pool of potential advisers for a new panel to help upgrade U.S. transportation infrastructure.

Freight on U.S. railroads posted another win against year-ago shipments.

Coal remained the commodity leader as U.S. rail carloads stayed ahead of year-ago levels.

U.S. railroads carried more freight in the most recent week from a year ago, according to the latest industry data.

David Fink, President Trump’s nominee to oversee rail safety in the U.S., was questioned Tuesday about his own safety record as former head of a railroad.

The Association of American Railroads is asking the Trump administration to repeal a Biden-era rule requiring two-person train crews.

Carload volumes for North American railroads are still running ahead of year-ago levels.

Freight carriers are pressuring Congress and the Trump administration to address the rise in “strategic” cargo theft.

Rail traffic in the U.S. rose 11.2% for the week that ended Saturday – the sixth straight increase.

Weekly U.S. rail carloads surged to the strongest year-on-year improvement in nearly three months.

With an international intermodal surge winding down, analyst Larry Gross pins his hopes on domestic intermodal share gains.

For a fourth straight week, U.S. rail traffic has recorded an increase of more than 5% over the same week a year earlier. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads for the week ending March 22 show total traffic was 496,214 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.5% increase over the same week in 2024. That […]

Weekly U.S. rail traffic posted a 5.5% gain from the year-ago period as coal and grain led commodity gainers, according to the Association of American Railroads.

This week: Shoppers share safety concerns, and we examine theft on the railroads

Commodities were narrowly ahead in weekly U.S. rail traffic, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Theft of cargo cost Class I railroads more than $100 million in 2024, according to the Association of American Railroads.

U.S. senators heard suggestions on how to empower regulators and law enforcement to deal with thieves and scammers in trucking and rail.

Carload volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Feb. 15 finished narrowly ahead of the same period in 2024.

U.S. rail traffic has risen for the fifth time in the first six weeks of 2025.

U.S. rail traffic showed a massive jump for the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, with both carload and intermodal traffic up more than 25% from the same week a year earlier. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show overall traffic for the week was 500,160 carloads and intermodal units, a 25.9% increase. That included […]

Intermodal volumes boosted weekly U.S. rail traffic even as overall carloads slipped compared to the same week in 2024.

Weekly U.S. rail traffic showed a slight uptick over 2024 in the first report from the Association of American Railroads for 2025. Overall volume for the week ending Jan. 4 was 421,410 carloads and intermodal units, a 1% increase over the first week a year ago. That included 198,500 carloads, down 4.6%, and 222,910 containers […]

U.S. rail traffic is back on track after November swings, with intermodal gains outpacing weaker carloads.

Regulators may consider more oversight as a way to improve rail volumes.

Costs and feasibility of CARB’s anti-pollution rule for locomotives was debated on Capitol Hill.

The Federal Railroad Administration has lowered the gates on railroads looking to move to one-person crews.

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reopened the international border crossings at Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, according to the freight railroads affected by the five-day closure.

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employes Division is continuing to express its disappointment over planned furloughs at Union Pacific. But UP insists that it will call back furloughed employees as the railway pursues rail service and safety goals.

EPA’s proposal to consider mandating air pollution reporting could place new burdens on rail yards and rail carriers, critics say.

Add Kansas to the list of states that require more than one person in the locomotive cab of a freight train.

U.S. intermodal volumes actually grew in September, according to the Association of American Railroads. And with the harvest season in full swing in the fourth quarter, expect rising grain volumes.

This AskWaves article looks at how a U.S. federal government shutdown would affect freight rail operations and proposed rail safety and economic rulemakings.

Rail, port and trucking interests want the Biden administration to ramp up oversight and coordination of the multi-billion dollar infrastructure law.

The Association of American Railroads says a federal program in which employees can anonymously report safety concerns has the potential for misuse.

The Transportation Trades Department wants to know why the Class I railroads haven’t fully committed to a program that lets employees anonymously report safety concerns. The railroads say sticking points remain.

The Association of American Railroads is suing the state of Ohio over its new law on freight train crew sizes.

The new regulations calling for zero-emissions configurations by as early as 2030 are too lofty in part because technologies are not yet commercially viable.

The Association of American Railroads has outlined eight ways that the freight rail industry and the federal government can work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD are tabling discussions about how to handle conductor redeployments as congressional lawmakers want more information about what rail safety initiatives should become law.

Norfolk Southern notified federal officials about loose wheels, and the Association of American Railroads put out an advisory to halt the use of rail cars that might have this issue.

The Association of American Railroads has laid out initiatives the freight rail industry expects to take up to boost safety amid calls from federal officials in the wake of the Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment.

Rail unions warn that revisions to a rule affecting railroad contract workers could be a step backward for safety.

Rail trade groups’ and rail unions’ responses to NTSB’s preliminary report on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment offer different views on what the next steps should be.

U.S. freight railroads moved fewer volumes in 2022 than 2021 amid declines in intermodal traffic, according to recent industry data.

CN boasts record Canadian grain volumes, Watco completes a Texas terminal expansion, and the Association of American Railroads and the Intermodal Association of North America detail volume ups and downs.

Freight and passenger rail carriers must develop actionable items to prevent a cyberattack from crippling the rail network, according to a new TSA security directive.

Railroad intermodal volumes are down, but consumer spending remains relatively strong. Carloads of coal are up, but forest products are down. Whether these volume changes reflect broader macroeconomic slowing remains less clear.

A nationwide rail strike has been averted as the railroads and unions have reached a deal.

Uncertainties over whether union members will go on strike next Friday are causing the U.S. Class I railroads to embargo certain shipments and tell customers to expect delays.

The Association of American Railroads estimates that a nationwide strike could cost about $2 billion each day, while shippers groups rally Congress to intervene in the event a strike seems imminent.

In proposing a minimum train crew size of two members, FRA reverses its stance that crew size questions should be left to the railroads and the unions.

Union Pacific is seeking to extend its tests on wheel temperature detectors, but the Transportation Trades Department disagrees with the way UP wants to deploy the technology.

The Federal Railroad Administration has established a Climate Challenge initiative, which is targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for the industry by 2050.

Congress should fund the Surface Transportation Board, agreed panelists at a U.S. House hearing on the board’s funding reauthorization. But they disagree on what STB’s role should be in regulating the freight railroads.

From executive transitions at Union Pacific and Pacific West to January rail volumes to new offerings in the MoW lessor space, here are some news items rounding out the week.

Freight transportation experts weigh in on Pete Buttigieg’s one-year mark as the secretary of transportation.