AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending August 30, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 30, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 521,502 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 30 were 234,740 carloads, up 0.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 286,762 containers and trailers, up 1.2 percent compared to 2024.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 1,618 carloads, to 34,960; metallic ores and metals, up 762 carloads, to 22,362; and nonmetallic minerals, up 446 carloads, to 32,602. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 878 carloads, to 10,559; grain, down 741 carloads, to 19,766; and forest products, down 288 carloads, to 8,236.

For the first 35 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 7,749,143 carloads, up 2.5 percent from the same point last year; and 9,471,467 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 35 weeks of 2025 was 17,220,610 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.4 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 30, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,856 carloads, down 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year, and 374,612 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713,468 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent. North American rail volume for the first 35 weeks of 2025 was 23,701,966 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 90,367 carloads for the week, down 3.9 percent, and 71,949 intermodal units, up 23.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 35 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,661,886 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 13,749 carloads for the week, down 28.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,901 intermodal units, up 12.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 35 weeks of 2025 was 819,470 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 8.5 percent from the same point last year.