WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic fell below 2024 levels for the week ending Feb. 22, 2025, ending a string of three weeks where traffic was ahead of prior-year levels.
According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, total volume was 458,514 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.1% from the same week a year ago. That included 193,252, a 13.6% decrease, and 265,261 containers and trailers, up 2.3%.
The last time 2025 traffic was below 2024 levels was the week ending Jan. 25, when it was down 2.5% [see “Weekly U.S. rail volume shows slip …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 30, 2025].
Through eight weeks, carload volume is down 2.4% compared to the same period in 2024, while intermodal traffic is up 8.4%. The total traffic of 3,797,081 carloads and intermodal units represents a 3.4% increase compared to the first eight weeks of 2024.
North American volume for the week, from nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 288,166 carloads, a 14.4% decrease from the same week a year ago, and 334,375 intermodal units, a 2.1% decline. The total traffic of 622,374 carloads and intermodal units represent a 8.2% drop. Through eight weeks, the total volume of 5,207,293 carloads and intermodal units is up 2% from the same period in 2024. That includes a 0.6% decline in Canada and an 8.3% drop in Mexico.
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