The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 6, 2025.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,999 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending December 6 were 228,823 carloads, up 1.7 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,176 containers and trailers, down 5.4 percent compared to 2024.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 3,147 carloads, to 61,026; grain, up 1,952 carloads, to 25,098; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,161 carloads, to 29,330. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included chemicals, down 1,054 carloads, to 32,548; metallic ores and metals, down 601 carloads, to 19,706; and miscellaneous carloads, down 387 carloads, to 8,897.
For the first 49 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,889,132 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year; and 13,277,231 intermodal units, up 1.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 49 weeks of 2025 was 24,166,363 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending December 6, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 335,803 carloads, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 362,093 intermodal units, down 4.0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,896 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 49 weeks of 2025 was 33,276,063 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7 percent compared with 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 94,333 carloads for the week, up 2.5 percent, and 67,986 intermodal units, down 1.8 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 49 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,943,671 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.3 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 12,647 carloads for the week, up 2.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13,931 intermodal units, up 18.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 49 weeks of 2025 was 1,166,029 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.0 percent from the same point last year.
