The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 29, 2025.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 431,435 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending November 29 were 197,955 carloads, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 233,480 containers and trailers, down 6.5 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 4,818 carloads, to 56,972; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,858 carloads, to 23,353; and grain, up 2,424 carloads, to 21,019. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included miscellaneous carloads, down 1,046 carloads, to 6,769; forest products, down 849 carloads, to 6,848; and chemicals, down 679 carloads, to 29,583.
For the first 48 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,660,309 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year; and 12,997,055 intermodal units, up 1.9 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 48 weeks of 2025 was 23,657,364 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending November 29, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 302,151 carloads, up 3.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 320,076 intermodal units, down 3.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 622,227 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 48 weeks of 2025 was 32,578,167 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7 percent compared with 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 90,821 carloads for the week, up 2.6 percent, and 71,365 intermodal units, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 48 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,781,352 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 13,375 carloads for the week, down 8.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,231 intermodal units, up 19.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 48 weeks of 2025 was 1,139,451 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.4 percent from the same point last year.
