In the week ending October 18, freight traffic on US railroads continued its recent downward trend.
Total weekly traffic was 498,462 cars and intermodal units, down 1.3 percent from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads. It was the fifth time in seven weeks that traffic was below the 2024 level. The latest figure includes 224,244 vehicles, up 0.3 percent from the same week in 2024, and 273,610 containers and trailers, down 4.8 percent.
Year-to-date, total volume of 20,725,830 vehicles and multimodal containers and trailers increased 2.7% in the first 42 weeks of 2025. This includes 9,326,053 vehicles, a 2 percent increase, and 11,399,777 intermodal units, a 3.2 percent increase.
Winners and losers were evenly split among shipments, with 10.7% non-metallic minerals, 7.7% metallic minerals and minerals, and 3.1% chemicals. The decrease included non-specific or other cargoes, 15.3% and grain, 10.1%.
North American volume for the week was 688,783 carloads and intermodal units, down 1 percent from the same week last year, according to 9 Railroads of the United States, Canada and Mexico. This figure includes 330,151 stationary vehicles compared to last year and 358,632 intermodal vehicles, which is a decrease of 1.9%. During the 42 weeks of 2025, North America volume reached 2,853,333 vehicles and intermodal units, an increase of 2.2% over the same period in 2024.
Canadian volume for the week was 92,310 cars, down 2.9%, and 70,928 intermodal units, up 5.2%, while the annual total of 6,802,397 cars and intermodal units was up 1.9% from the first 42 weeks of 2024 in Mexico. 19.2% compared to the same week last year and 14,094 intermodal units, an increase of 33.9%. For the year to date, Mexico’s volume of 1,005,106 vehicles and intermodal units represents a 4.4 percent decrease.
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