AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending December 27, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 27, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 392,295 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 27 were 188,673 carloads, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 203,622 containers and trailers, down 1.0 percent compared to 2024.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 5,037 carloads, to 55,823; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,779 carloads, to 9,910; and grain, up 1,099 carloads, to 20,579. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included chemicals, down 2,166 carloads, to 28,533; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,203 carloads, to 6,258; and forest products, down 452 carloads, to 6,750.

For the first 52 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,509,099 carloads, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year; and 14,055,601 intermodal units, up 1.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 25,564,700 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 27, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 272,344 carloads, down 0.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 269,132 intermodal units, up 0.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 541,476 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 35,187,322 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 74,120 carloads for the week, down 7.0 percent, and 54,633 intermodal units, up 4.9 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 52 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,387,041 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 9,551 carloads for the week, down 12.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,877 intermodal units, up 5.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 1,235,581 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.5 percent from the same point last year.