AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending August 23, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 23, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 512,333 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 23 were 229,783 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,550 containers and trailers, down 1.9 percent compared to 2024.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included grain, up 1,723 carloads, to 20,389; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,001 carloads, to 17,681; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 640 carloads, to 16,140. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,068 carloads, to 9,769; coal, down 370 carloads, to 62,043; and miscellaneous carloads, down 249 carloads, to 9,100.

For the first 34 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,514,403 carloads, up 2.6 percent from the same point last year; and 9,184,705 intermodal units, up 4.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 34 weeks of 2025 was 16,699,108 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 23, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 322,359 carloads, up 5.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 370,239 intermodal units, up 5.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,598 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 34 weeks of 2025 was 22,988,498 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 80,067 carloads for the week, up 23.8 percent, and 73,564 intermodal units, up 47.7 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 34 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,499,570 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 12,509 carloads for the week, down 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,125 intermodal units, up 18.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 34 weeks of 2025 was 789,820 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 8.4 percent from the same point last year.