U.S. freight-rail volume slides 1.3% in Week 41

U.S. weekly freight-rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 11 totaled 498,462 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.3% decrease compared with traffic levels in the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 224,562, a 1.2% increase, while intermodal volume reached 273,900 containers and trailers, a 3.3% decrease.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted an increase. Gainers included nonmetallic minerals, up 6.5% to 32,448 carloads; coal, up 1% to 58,858; and chemicals, up 1.8% to 31,048. Commodity groups that posted decreases included metallic ores and metals, down 4.2% to 18,456 carloads; miscellaneous, down 3.5% to 8,923; and grain, down 0.4% to 23,434.

Canadian railroads during the week logged 94,937 carloads, down 3.2%, and 70,657 intermodal units, up 0.8%. Mexican railroads reported 13,506 carloads, a gain of 70.7%; and 14,905 intermodal units, a gain of 60.5%.

For the first 41 weeks of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024:

• U.S. railroads reported 20,227,976 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.8% increase;

• Canadian railroads logged 6,639,159 carloads, trailers and containers, a 1.9% increase; and

• Mexican railroads posted 977,415 carloads and intermodal units, a 5% decrease.