U.S. Class I railroads hauled 502,449 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Feb. 8, 2025, the AAR reported Feb. 12. Total carloads came in at 218,393, dipping 0.7%, while intermodal volume was 284,056 containers and trailers, rising 7.4% from the same week in 2024.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 1,274 carloads, to 34,390; nonmetallic minerals, up 1,271 carloads, to 27,904; and miscellaneous carloads, up 855 carloads, to 9,003. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were coal, down 4,722 carloads, to 56,636; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,523 carloads, to 16,917.
For the first six weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,244,057 carloads, up 0.0% from the same point last year; and 1,613,771 intermodal units, up 9.7% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first six weeks of this year came in at 2,857,828 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.3% gain over last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 8, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 315,173 carloads, down 4.7% from the same week last year, and 364,946 intermodal units, up 5.3% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 680,119 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.4%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of this year was 3,923,395 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.4% over 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 82,323 carloads for the week ending Feb. 8, 2025, an 11.5% drop-off, and 68,639 intermodal units, a 1.2% drop-off compared with the same week in 2024. For the first six weeks of this year, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 938,998 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 3.6% from the prior-year period.
For the week ending Feb. 8, 2025, Mexican railroads reported 14,457 carloads, down 18.9% from the year-ago period, and 12,351 intermodal units, down 3.8%. Their cumulative volume for the first six weeks of 2025 came in at 126,569 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, dropping 7.4% from last year.
