FTR | State of Freight
State of Freight is a series of industry resources from FTR, the leader in market intelligence and forecasting for the North American freight transportation industry. FTR podcasts provide updates for the Trucking and Rail markets, as well as the broader economy. Each podcast includes a slide deck of graphs that can be used in presentations or for internal analysis. For show downloads and to signup for more State of Freight content, go to www.FTRintel.com/podcast.
FTR | State of Freight
Rail Market Update - Week ending August 8, 2025
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FTR | Joseph Towers
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Episode 253
In this week's episode of our Rail Market Update, Joseph talks about:
- Biggest industry news: Proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger, potentially creating the first coast-to-coast Class I railroad since 1869, with insight into timelines and competitive possibilities.
- Rail traffic trends: Total North American volumes up 3.6% y/y; strong carload growth led by grain, autos, and coal, while intermodal gains remain modest.
- ARCI results: Q2 2025 railcar deliveries and orders both ticked higher, but the backlog fell to its lowest level since 2010, highlighting continued industry shifts.
- Conference connection: These topics and more will be explored in-depth at the FTR Transportation Conference in September.
The Rail Market Update is hosted by FTR’s Senior Analyst, Rail, Joseph Towers. As this information is presented, you are welcome to follow along and look at the graphs and indicators yourself by downloading the PDF of the presentation.
Download the PDF: https://www.ftrintel.com/rail-podcast