US rail traffic ekes out another gain over 2024
Freight on U.S. railroads posted another win against year-ago shipments. The post US rail traffic ekes out another gain over 2024 appeared first on FreightWaves.
U.S. weekly rail traffic remained above 2024 levels for the week that ended on Saturday — but barely.
According to the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 488,709 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.7% gain over the same week in 2024. It marked the 13th consecutive week in which traffic has been above year-ago figures, but the smallest gain during that period.
The overall figure includes 226,091 carloads, up 3.8%, and 262,618 containers and trailers, a decrease of 1.8% compared to the corresponding week in 2024.
Gainers and decliners were evenly split for the week. Coal shipments topped all commodity increases, up 12.1%, followed by motor vehicles and parts, 4.1%, and nonmetallic minerals, 3.5%
Through 21 weeks, 2025 volume is 10,280,643 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.9% gain over the same period in 2024. That includes 4,580,934 carloads, up 2.3%, and 5,699,709 intermodal units, up 4.9%.
North American traffic for the week, as reported by nine U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads, was 675,811 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8% from the same week a year ago. That included 330,466 carloads, up 4.5%, and 345,345 containers and trailers, down 0.8%.
The year-to-date volume for North America is 14,173,143 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3% from the first 21 weeks of 2024. That includes 3,407,247 carloads and intermodal units in Canada, a gain of 0.7%, and 485,523 carloads and intermodal units in Mexico, a decrease of 10.1%.
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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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