US rail traffic increased modestly for the week ending September 27, with a one per cent year-on-year gain, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The cumulative volume for the first 39 weeks of 2025 also showed a slight rise, reports Chicago's Railway Age.

Total weekly traffic reached 512,642 carloads and intermodal units. Carloads rose 0.9 per cent to 228,903, while intermodal volume climbed 1.1 per cent to 283,739 containers and trailers.

The previous week ending September 20 saw a 2.2 per cent decline in total traffic, with carloads down 1.8 per cent and intermodal units falling 2.5 per cent.

For the latest week, five of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains. Nonmetallic minerals rose by 2,249 carloads to 32,825, grain increased by 1,710 to 22,609, and motor vehicles and parts added 499 to reach 17,205.

Declines were recorded in coal, down 1,330 carloads to 59,499; petroleum and petroleum products, down 439 to 10,343; and metallic ores and metals, down 355 to 20,853.

Cumulative US rail traffic for the year to date reached 19,225,976 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9 per cent from 2024. Carloads totalled 8,652,275, up 2.1 per cent, and intermodal units hit 10,573,701, up 3.5 per cent.