US rail shipments down 7% in last full week
Rail freight volumes across North America slipped during the last full week, with carload traffic showing the biggest year-over-year drop.
Based on nine reporting railroads in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, weekly volume totaled 310,557 carloads, down 8.7% from the same week in 2024. Intermodal volume came in at 361,679 units, a 3.9% decline.
When carloads and intermodal are combined, total weekly rail traffic was 541,476 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2% compared with the corresponding week last year.
For working drivers, the split between carloads and intermodal matters. Carloads generally reflect bulk and industrial commodities moving in railcars, while intermodal tracks containers and trailers that can connect directly to truck freight through ramps and terminals. In this update, carloads fell more sharply than intermodal, while total combined traffic was nearly flat overall.
These weekly rail numbers are a useful snapshot of freight flow across major modes. Even modest shifts can show up at terminals, drayage markets, and in lane-by-lane competition between rail intermodal and long-haul truck freight, especially where shippers have options.