WASHINGTON — U.S. rail volume eked out a small gain over 2024 levels in the final full week of 2025, ending a nine-week string of declines compared to the prior year.
According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 392,295 carloads and intermodal units — well below the weekly average due to the holidays, but still 0.7% above the same week a year ago. The overall figure included 188,673 carloads, up 2.5%, and 203,622 containers and trailers, down 1% from the corresponding week in 2024.
The 52-week total traffic was 25,564,700 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.5% increase over 2024. The 11,509,099 carloads are also a gain of 1.5%, as are the 14,055,601 intermodal units.
North American volume for the week, from nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 541,476 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2% from the corresponding week in 2024. That included 272,344 carloads, down 0.9%, and 269,132 intermodal units, up 0.4%. The 52-week figure for North American traffic was 35,187,322 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4% from 2024.
In Canada, volume for the week was 73,120 carloads, down 7% from the same week a year earlier, and 54,633 intermodal units, up 4.9%. For the year, the volume of 8,387,041 carloads and intermodal units was a 2% gain over 2024. In Mexico, the week’s figures were 9,551 carloads, down 12.9%, and 10,877 intermodal units, up 5.4%. For the year, the volume of 1,235,581 carloads and intermodal units represented a 5.5% decline.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
