U.S. Class I railroads hauled 513,622 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Feb. 1, 2025, the AAR reported Feb. 5. Total carloads came in at 222,071, dipping 0.1%, while intermodal volume was 291,551 containers and trailers, rising 8.2% from the same week in 2024.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 1,332 carloads, to 33,374; grain, up 1,151 carloads, to 22,114; and nonmetallic minerals, up 672 carloads, to 26,637. Commodity groups that posted declines included coal, down 2,849 carloads, to 59,863; metallic ores and metals, down 633 carloads, to 18,815; and forest products, down 506 carloads, to 8,271.
For the first five weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,025,664 carloads, up 0.2% from the same point last year; and 1,329,715 intermodal units, up 10.3% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first five weeks of this year came in at 2,355,379 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.6% gain over last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 1, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 325,668 carloads, down 0.4% from the same week last year, and 374,743 intermodal units, up 6.8% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 700,411 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3%. North American rail volume for the first five weeks of this year was 3,266,506 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 6.1% over 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 90,301 carloads for the week ending Feb. 1, 2025, a 1.6% drop-off, and 71,385 intermodal units, a 1.6% drop-off compared with the same week in 2024. For the first five weeks of this year, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 788,036 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 5.9% from the prior-year period.
For the week ending Feb. 1, 2025, Mexican railroads reported 13,296 carloads, up 0.8% from the year-ago period, and 11,807 intermodal units, up 35.5%. Their cumulative volume for the first five weeks of 2025 came in at 123,091 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, rising 16.0% from last year.
