AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending July 12, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 12, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,188 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending July 12 were 223,968 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 272,220 containers and trailers, up 1.4 percent compared to 2024.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 2,699 carloads, to 58,370; chemicals, up 1,931 carloads, to 32,599; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,228 carloads, to 12,992. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were forest products, down 150 carloads, to 8,253; and metallic ores and metals, down 133 carloads, to 20,229.

For the first 28 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,133,836 carloads, up 2.6 percent from the same point last year; and 7,494,085 intermodal units, up 5.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2025 was 13,627,921 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending July 12, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,098 carloads, up 4.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 357,519 intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 685,617 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.0 percent. North American rail volume for the first 28 weeks of 2025 was 18,856,199 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 88,255 carloads for the week, up 1.6 percent, and 74,638 intermodal units, up 9.3 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 28 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,556,986 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.3 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,875 carloads for the week, up 40.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,661 intermodal units, up 12.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 28 weeks of 2025 was 671,292 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 6.5 percent from the same point last year.