WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic improved slightly over 2024 levels for the week ending Aug. 30, 2025, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Weekly rail traffic was 521,502 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.9% increase over the same week a year ago. That ended a two-week interlude in which traffic was slightly below previous-year levels.
The week’s traffic included 234,740 carloads, a 0.6% increase over the corresponding week in 2024, and 286,762 containers and trailers, up 1.2%.
Year-to-date totals, through 35 weeks of 2025, include 17,220,610 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4% over the same period a year ago. The 7,749,143 carloads represent a 2.5% increase from 2024, while the 9,471,467 intermodal units are a 4.1% gain.
North American volume for the week, from nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, totaled 713,468 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.6% over the same week a year ago. That included 338,856 carloads, down 2.2%, and 374,612 intermodal units, up 5.2%. For the year to date, the North American volume of 23,701,966 carloads and intermodal units is up 2.7% over the first 35 weeks of 2024. In Canada, the cumulative volume of 5,661,886 carloads and intermodal units is up 2.3%, while in Mexico, the 819,470 carloads and intermodal units represent an 8.5% decline.
