U.S. freight-rail traffic dips 4.5% in Week 46

U.S. freight railroads carried 493,880 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Nov. 15, down 4.5% compared with the same week in 2024, according to Association of American Railroads data.

The number of carloads fell 0.2% to 223,101, while intermodal units declined 7.7% to 270,779 containers and trailers.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR each week posted an increase compared to the same week last year. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 10.2% to 32,472 carloads; grain, up 8.5% to 25,612; and miscellaneous, up 15.3% to 9,041.

Commodity groups that posted decreases during the week included motor vehicles and parts, down 14% to 13,509 carloads; coal, down 2.5% to 56,247; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 11.3% to 10,309.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads hauled 92,178 carloads in the week, down 3%, and 67,613 intermodal units, up 65.6%. Mexican railroads carried 13,469 carloads, up 4%, and 15,689 intermodal units, up 22.3%.

For the first 46 weeks of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024:

• U.S. railroads hauled 22,709,819 carloads and intermodal units, up 2%;
• Canadian railroads logged 7,452,843 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 1,084,396 carloads, containers and trailers, down 5.8%.