AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending October 04, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 4, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 503,538 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending October 4 were 224,972 carloads, up 0.002 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 278,566 containers and trailers, up 6.7 percent compared to 2024.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 2,057 carloads, to 31,710; chemicals, up 1,841 carloads, to 32,919; and motor vehicles and parts, up 816 carloads, to 16,154. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 4,685 carloads, to 56,252; farm products excl. grain, and food, down 376 carloads, to 17,658; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 265 carloads, to 10,538.

For the first 40 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,877,247 carloads, up 2.1 percent from the same point last year; and 10,852,267 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 40 weeks of 2025 was 19,729,514 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 2.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending October 4, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,856 carloads, up 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 366,262 intermodal units, up 8.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,118 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7 percent. North American rail volume for the first 40 weeks of 2025 was 27,154,570 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 93,421 carloads for the week, down 1.4 percent, and 72,787 intermodal units, up 6.0 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 40 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,473,565 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 12,463 carloads for the week, up 45.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,909 intermodal units, up 82.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 40 weeks of 2025 was 951,491 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.9 percent from the same point last year.