- Rail traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 487,138 carloads and intermodal units in the last full week of 2025, down 7% compared with the same period a year ago.
Total traffic for the week ending Dec. 20 was 206,674 carloads, according to the Association of American Railroads, down 10.5% y/y. Intermodal units numbered 280,464 containers and trailers, a decrease of 4.3%.
Grain led just two carload gainers, up 5.9%, and motor vehicles and parts, 1.1%.
Coal topped losers, 15.7% weaker y/y, followed by chemicals and forest products, at 15.7% and 7.1%.
Through the first 51 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,320,426 carloads, up 1.5% y/y, and 13,851,979 intermodal units, ahead 1.6%. Total combined traffic was 25,172,405 carloads and intermodal units, better by 1.5%.
North American rail volume for the week on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 310,557 carloads, down 8.7%, and 361,679 intermodal units, a decline of 3.9% from 2024. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America fell by 6.1% to 672,236 carloads and intermodal units, while year-to-date shipments came to 34,645,846 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4%.
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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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