Association of American Railroads

Coal extends surprising lead in weekly US rail traffic

Carload traffic provided most of the growth as U.S. weekly rail traffic remained above 2024 levels for the week that ended on Saturday.

Figures from the Association of American Railroads show traffic for the week totaled 490,775 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.4% increase over the same week a year ago. That figure included 229,226 carloads, up 7.1% over the corresponding week in 2024, and 261,549 containers and trailers, a 0.3% increase.

Through 20 weeks, U.S. volume of 9,791,934 carloads and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/coal-extends-surprising-lead-in-weekly-us-rail-traffic

Coal, grain keep US rail freight ahead of 2024 levels

Carload and intermodal traffic posted gains as weekly U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of 2024 levels, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Statistics for the week ending May 10 show overall U.S. volume of 495,552 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.7% increase over the same week a year earlier. That includes 222,238 carloads, a 6.2% increase over the corresponding week in 2024, and 273,314 containers and trailers, up 5.4%.

Weekly gainers were led by coal, up 21%, and grain, up 20%. 

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/coal-grain-keep-us-rail-freight-ahead-of-2024-levels

Trump’s FRA nominee vows to uphold 2-person train crews

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Federal Railroad Administration affirmed to lawmakers that he would uphold a rule requiring two-person train crews that is being targeted for repeal by the big U.S. railroads.

At his nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday, David Fink, the FRA nominee, assured Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that he would stand by the regulation, which the FRA finalized in April 2024, aligning himself with Transportation Secretary Sean...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trumps-fra-nominee-vows-to-uphold-2-person-train-crews

Railroads want feds to scrap 2-person train crew rule

The biggest U.S. railroads are asking the Trump administration to repeal a federal rule requiring two-person crews on freight trains.

The trade group representing six Class I railroads in the U.S. and Canada termed the Biden-era rule “an unsubstantiated mandate that conflicts with the Trump administration’s policy goals of regulatory reform, technological advancement, and data-driven rule-making.” 

The filing marks a resumption of the railroads’ campaign for single-person crews they say have been...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/railroads-want-feds-to-scrap-2-person-train-crew-rule

US rail freight still ahead of 2024 levels

Weekly U.S. rail volume remains ahead of 2024 levels — at least for now.

Amid reports that import traffic from China is about to drop dramatically, with an almost-certain impact on intermodal volume, both carload and intermodal traffic remained above previous-year levels for the week ending April 26, 2025.

Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show that U.S. traffic for the week was 502,105 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5% from the same week in 2024. That includes 233,411...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-rail-freight-still-ahead-of-2024-levels

Trucking, rail implore Washington to help fight cargo theft

WASHINGTON — As monetary costs and safety risks rise in proportion to the increase in cargo theft, freight carriers are upping the pressure on lawmakers for a more coordinated government response to combat the problem.

For the second time in two months, representatives from the trucking and railroad industries participated in hearings on Capitol Hill focused on the problem, which shows no signs of going away.

“Trucking companies are either victims of cargo theft or they’re spending so much money...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-rail-implore-washington-to-help-fight-cargo-theft

US weekly rail traffic shows strong gains

Big gains in both carload and intermodal traffic lifted U.S. weekly rail traffic to its biggest increase over 2024 levels in 10 weeks, and the second-biggest improvement of the year.

Statistics from the Association of American Railroads for the week that ended on Saturday show total volume of 513,553 carloads and intermodal units, an 8.6% gain over the same week a year ago. That includes 235,865 carloads, up 7.8% over the corresponding week in 2024, and 277,688 containers and trailers, up 9.4%.

Th...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-weekly-rail-traffic-shows-strong-gains

Analyst: Intermodal facing volume headwinds from tariffs, economic uncertainty

The only thing that’s certain these days, intermodal analyst Larry Gross says, is uncertainty.

And that makes it difficult to whip up an accurate short-term intermodal forecast, he told an Intermodal Association of North America webcast on Tuesday.

But Gross says gathering economic storm clouds – new tariffs, the end of an import surge, diminishing hopes for tighter trucking capacity, sagging consumer and business confidence, and the potential for stagflation – will not help intermodal volumes...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/analyst-intermodal-to-face-volume-headwinds-due-to-economic-uncertainty

Broad gains as rail carloads stay ahead of 2024

For a fourth straight week, U.S. rail traffic has recorded an increase of more than 5% over the same week a year earlier.

Statistics from the Association of American Railroads for the week ending March 22 show total traffic was 496,214 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.5% increase over the same week in 2024. That includes 224,904 carloads, up 4.5%, and 271,310 intermodal units, up 6.3%.

All but one category posted gains led by metallic ores and minerals, 9.1%, nonmetallic minerals, 7.3%, and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/broad-gains-as-rail-carloads-stay-ahead-of-2024

Yearly gains for US rail freight despite intermodal weakness

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 8 showed a notable increase in overall activity compared to the same week in 2024, even as intermodal volumes continued to slow so far this year.

Total U.S. traffic reached 497,412 carloads and intermodal units, according to the Association of American Railroads, marking a 5.4% increase from the same period in 2024. Growth was driven by increases in both carload and intermodal volumes.

Carload traffic for the week totaled 219,457, up 2.6% from the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/yearly-gains-for-us-rail-freight-despite-intermodal-weakness

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