AAR: Petroleum Carloads Up 0.9% for Week to Dec. 6

SECAUCUS, NJ (DTN) — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) data show petroleum and petroleum product carloads totaled 11,591 in the week ending December 6, up by 0.9% from the same week a year earlier.

Year to date, petroleum and petroleum products carloads totaled 507,652, down by 1.6% from the corresponding period of the prior year, an AAR report published on Wednesday (12/10) showed.

Total U.S. weekly rail traffic at 508,999 carloads and intermodal units in the week profiled was down by 2.3% when compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week-ended December 6 reached 228,823, up by 1.7% compared to the same week last year, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,176 containers and trailers, a 5.4% decrease from the previous year.

For the first 49 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,889,132 carloads and 13,277,231 intermodal units. Both were up by 1.8% from the prior year.

Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 49 weeks of the year was 24,166,363 carloads and intermodal units, also reflecting a 1.9% increase compared to last year.