RAIL FREIGHT

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

Weekly US rail traffic continues to gain

Weekly rail traffic in the United States remains up as the year winds down.

Figures for the week ending Dec. 14 saw U.S. railroads move 526,166 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.8% increase over the same week in 2023, according to the Association of American Railroads. Those figures include 228,400 commodity carloads, down 2.4% from the corresponding week a year ago, and 297,766 containers and trailers, up 11.1%.

Among carload gainers, farm products excluding grain and food increased 3.6%, while...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/weekly-us-rail-traffic-continues-to-gain

Mexico orders railroads to prioritize passenger train services over freight operations

googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[728, 90], [468, 60], [300, 100], [320, 50]], ‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());
gptAdSlots.push(gptSlot);
});

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’); });

Mexico’s government issued a federal mandate this week forcing private railway companies operating...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mexico-orders-railroads-to-prioritize-passenger-train-services-over-freight-operations

FreightWaves Classics/Fallen Flags: A&CR provided Astoria a transportation link  

Commuters and stacks of lumber wait to board/be loaded on the A&CR. (Photo: Lower Columbia Preservation Society)

Background

In 1811, the town of Astoria, Oregon Territory was founded at the mouth of the Columbia River. Because of its location, many of the town’s civic and business leaders thought Astoria would become a key port. However, once ships entered the Columbia River, the majority of them continued upriver to Portland. 

While Astoria was founded in a beautiful area on the Oregon coast, it was isolated from much of the rest of the territory (and later the state). Since the town would not become a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsfallen-flags-acr-provided-astoria-a-transportation-link

FreightWaves Classics/Infrastructure: Port of Greater Baton Rouge is a Top 10 US port

An aerial view of part of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. (Photo: portgbr.com)

Overview

Located in Port Allen, Louisiana, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge is among the Top 10 largest ports in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped. (It ranked seventh in 2020.) It is the northernmost port on the Mississippi River capable of handling Panamax ships.

It is both a deep water (45 feet) and a shallow draft port, providing excellent accessibility to ocean trade lanes to and from Latin America, Europe and the Far East. The port also provides access to America’s heartland via...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsinfrastructure-port-of-greater-baton-rouge-is-a-top-10-us-port

FreightWaves Classics: Northwestern Pacific Railroad served Northern California

A freight train of the "new" Northwestern Pacific Railroad. (Photo: Jamie Miller/NWPRR)

In the late 1800s the California counties north of San Francisco had relatively small populations compared to the rest of the state. While their populations have grown, what was true in the late 1800s is still true today.  

Back then, before decent roads were constructed and before there were trucks built that could haul freight, steam-powered schooners were used to haul timber to market. 

A Northwest Pacific Railroad train moves through rugged terrain. (Photo: Northwest Pacific Railroad Historical Society)A Northwest Pacific Railroad train moves through rugged terrain. (Photo: Northwest Pacific Railroad...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-northwestern-pacific-railroad-served-northern-california

FreightWaves Classics/Fallen Flags: The Nickel Plate Line was a major player in the Midwest (Part 1)

Three Nickel Plate Road diesel locomotives in November 1964. (Photo: Roger Puta/American-Rails.com)

There are many people interested in former transportation companies, whether they were trucking companies, railroads, airlines or ocean lines. They are called “fallen flags,” and the term describes those companies whose corporate names have been dissolved through merger, bankruptcy or liquidation.

The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad’s (NYC&StL) 2,200-mile rail network linked Buffalo with Chicago and St. Louis. It competed with a number of other railroads for business in the Midwest. 

Two Nickel Plate Line steam locomotives lead a freight train through Fostoria, Ohio during the summer of 1958. (American-Rails.com)Two...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsfallen-flags-the-nickel-plate-line-was-a-major-player-in-the-midwest

+ More