AAR: Petroleum Carloads Fall 0.8% Week Ending Sept. 20

MIAMI, FL (DTN) –The Association of American Railroads (AAR) data show petroleum and petroleum product carloads totaled 10,654 in the week ending September 20, down by 0.8% from the same week in 2024.

Year to date, petroleum and petroleum products carloads totaled 391,416, down by 1.1% from the corresponding period of the prior year, AAR reported this week.

AAR reports total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 510,677 carloads and intermodal units in the week profiled, down by 2.2% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week-ended September 20 reached 228,609, down by 1.8% compared to the same week last year, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,068 containers and trailers, a 2.5% decrease from 2024.

For the first 38 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,423,372 carloads, up by 2.2% compared to the same period last year, and 10,289,962 intermodal units, up by 3.6% compared to last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 38 weeks of 2025 was 18,713,334 carloads and intermodal units, reflecting a 3.0% increase compared to last year.