Intermodal weaker as US rail traffic declines

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 14 included 485,810 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.5% from the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads, including 224,851 carloads, a 1% gain over the corresponding week in 2024, and 260,959 containers and trailers, down 3.5%.

Coal led five category gainers, up 5.3% for the week. 

Last week, traffic was down 1.3%, the first week below 2024 levels since February.

“The latest intermodal numbers…show things have stabilized for the moment at about 4% below prior year,” said rail consultant Lawrence Gross, in a LinkedIn post. “Not great but not a catastrophe by any means. All railroads [are] running in the red versus prior year except CPKC, which has easy prior-year [comparisons].”

Through 24 weeks of 2025, overall volume is 11,710,144 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2% from the same period a year ago. That includes 5,250,685 carloads, up 2.5%, and 6,459,459 intermodal units, up 5.7%.

North American traffic for the week, from nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 678,590 carloads and intermodal units, a 1% decline from the same week a year ago. That includes 332,361 carloads, up 0.9%, and 346,229 intermodal units, down 2.8%.

Year-to-date traffic in North America was at 16,180,193 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9% over the first 24 weeks of 2024. That includes 3,906,603 carloads and intermodal units in Canada, up 1.0%, and 563,446 carloads and intermodal units in Mexico, down 9.1%.

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