AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending September 13, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 17, 2025 - The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 13, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,167 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 13 were 231,237 carloads, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,930 containers and trailers, down 2.6 percent compared to 2024.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 2,446 carloads, to 34,891; motor vehicles and parts, up 765 carloads, to 17,608; and nonmetallic minerals, up 732 carloads, to 32,754. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 2,321 carloads, to 60,817; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,947 carloads, to 8,776; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 834 carloads, to 16,382.

For the first 37 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,194,763 carloads, up 2.3 percent from the same point last year; and 10,007,894 intermodal units, up 3.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 18,202,657 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 13, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,615 carloads, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 369,524 intermodal units, down 1.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 706,139 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 25,051,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 92,231 carloads for the week, up 1.2 percent, and 71,932 intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 37 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,978,337 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 13,147 carloads for the week, down 10.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,662 intermodal units, up 14.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 870,910 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 7.5 percent from the same point last year.

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For more information, contact: AAR Media Relations at [email protected] or 202-639-2345.

About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world's leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org.

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