AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending August 09, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 9, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 511,194 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.0 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 9 were 227,327 carloads, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,867 containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent compared to 2024.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included metallic ores and metals, up 1,825 carloads, to 21,247; grain, up 1,052 carloads, to 19,454; and coal, up 810 carloads, to 61,843. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were petroleum and petroleum products, down 232 carloads, to 10,092; chemicals, down 123 carloads, to 32,838; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 33 carloads, to 16,161.

For the first 32 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,055,736 carloads, up 2.8 percent from the same point last year; and 8,618,069 intermodal units, up 4.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 32 weeks of 2025 was 15,673,805 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 9, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,349 carloads, down 0.04 percent compared with the same week last year, and 371,325 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 695,674 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 32 weeks of 2025 was 21,639,091 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 84,689 carloads for the week, down 5.6 percent, and 74,518 intermodal units, up 11.4 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 32 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,194,861 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.6 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 12,333 carloads for the week, down 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 12,940 intermodal units, up 14.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 32 weeks of 2025 was 770,425 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 4.8 percent from the same point last year.