AAR: U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Up Slightly for Week 30
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 26, 2025 (Week 30) came in at 514,279 carloads and intermodal units, rising 1.1% from the same week last year, based on 231,029 carloads—up
Association of American Railroads
Shippers Appeal Rail Price-Fixing Win
Big Four railroads BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS) and Union Pacific have been awarded summary judgment by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia—the court rejecting shipper allegations that those railroads engaged in unlawful price fixing in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
FRA Regulatory Roundup
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has withdrawn the direct final rule concerning accident/incident investigations and published guidance on agency-funded railroad capital projects, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 29
North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 29 weeks of 2025 (ending July 19) was up 2.9% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. While the United States and Canada both saw gains, Mexico experienced a loss.
TransmetriQ Launches ‘Ocean to Rail Visibility’ Tool
Railinc®’s Transmetriq brand on July 22 introduced an “Ocean to Rail Visibility” tool to help manage shipments of containerized goods between ocean vessels and North American railroads. “By integrating GPS-based vessel data,
Railroad Cost of Capital Set at 10.68% for 2024
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has determined that the cost of capital for the railroad industry, which is calculated each year, was 10.68% for 2024.
AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 28
North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 28 weeks of 2025 (ending July 12) was up 2.9% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. While the United States and Canada both saw gains, Mexico experienced a loss.
Commentary
Unlocking the Next Era of Rail Innovation Requires a Modern Policy Framework
As Innovation Week comes to a close, few sectors better illustrate the quiet power of American ingenuity than freight rail—where century-old infrastructure is being reimagined with cutting-edge technology to move goods more safely, efficiently, and sustainably than ever before.
CISA Issues EoT, HoT Device Advisory
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released an Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisory regarding End-of-Train (EoT) and Head-of-Train (HoT) devices.
Damage Prevention Impact Tests
MxV RAIL R&D, RAILWAY AGE JULY 2025 ISSUE: Under the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives Program, MxV Rail and its Damage Prevention & Loading Services (DP&LS) group conducted a series