WASHINGTON — Led by a significant decline in carload volume, U.S. rail traffic experienced a hefty drop for the week ending Dec. 20.
Figures from the Association of American Railroads show a total of 487,138 carloads and intermodal units for the week, down 7% from the same week a year earlier. That includes 206,674 carloads, down 10.5%, and 280,464 containers and trailers, down 4.3%.
Through 51 weeks of 2025, overall U.S. volume is 25,1742,405 carloads and intermodal units, still 1.5% ahead of 2024. The 11,320,426 carloads also represent a 1.5% increase, while the 13,851,979 intermodal units are a gain of 1.6%.
North American volume for the week ending Dec. 20, as reported by nine U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 672,236 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.1%. The 310,557 carloads represented an 8.7% decline from the corresponding week in 2024, while the 361,679 intermodal units were a drop of 3.9%. For the year to date, the North American volume of 34,645,846 carloads and intermodal units is a 1.4% gain over the first 51 weeks of 2024.
Canadian traffic for the week was 89,678 carloads, down 3.5% from the same week in 2024, and 66,363 intermodal units, down 3.9%. For the year to date, the volume of 8,258,288 carloads and intermodal units is a gain of 2.1%.
In Mexico, traffic was 14,205 carloads, down 12.5% from the corresponding week a year ago, and 14,852 intermodal units, up 5.5%. Through 51 weeks of 2025, Mexican railroads have moved 1,215,153 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 5.5% from last year.
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