U.S. rail traffic still below 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, along with overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic has remained below 2024 levels for an eighth straight week, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Figures for the week ending Dec. 13, 2025, show U.S. weekly traffic of 518,904 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 1.4% from the same week a year ago. Both carloads […]

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Union Pacific to develop industrial park near Houston

Map of available proporty at new industrial park near Rosenberg, Texas

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has announced plans to develop a 2,000-acre industrial park outside Houston that will feature 1,300 acres of rail-served land. The Mainline Texas Industrial Park is just west of Rosenberg, Texas, and about 40 miles southwest of downtown Houston. It will be bordered on one side by the main line of […]

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Engineer and trackworker unions to oppose UP-NS merger

Two crew members stand next to their train as another train passes

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division will oppose the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger despite UP’s promises of lifetime job protection. “This debt-ridden tie-up won’t make rail more competitive with trucks as merger proponents claim,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said in a statement on Wednesday […]

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Congressmen from Mississippi, Louisiana voice support for UP-NS merger

Train crossing bridge over canal

WASHINGTON — A trio of Southern Democratic congressmen have come out in favor of the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Calling rail freight “vital to our states and the country’s economy,” a letter from U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Troy Carter and Cleo Fields of Louisiana urged Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs to […]

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News & Products for the week of December 15th 2025

Color photo showing group of HO scale three-bay covered hoppers with exterior posts in various paint schemes on white background.

News & Products for the week of December 15th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of December 15th, 2025. HO […]

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News Photos: Flooding on BNSF in Washington

BNSF Railway crews worked over the weekend to repair flood-damaged sections of the railroad in Washington state, which was hit by record rainfall last week. Some areas of western Washington and Oregon received 10 to 17 inches of rain, which is more than some locations receive in a month, BNSF said in a customer advisory […]

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