North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was 9,367,352 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers for the 14-week period ending April 5, 2025. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 6,816,848 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.0% rise from the same period in 2024; in Canada, 2,221,406 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.1% increase; and in Mexico, 329,098 carloads and intermodal units, an 8.2% drop-off.
According to the AAR, U.S. Class I railroads carried 500,584 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending April 5, 2025, up 11.2% compared with last year. That comprised 226,790 carloads, up 8.5% from 2024, and 273,794 containers and trailers, up 13.6% from last year.
Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 11,641 carloads, to 58,314; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,212 carloads, to 31,753; and chemicals, up 1,518 carloads, to 33,423. Commodity groups that posted declines were petroleum and petroleum products, down 521 carloads, to 9,475; forest products, down 231 carloads, to 8,309; and miscellaneous carloads, down 129 carloads, to 8,489.
For the first 14 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,002,325 carloads, up 0.7% from the same point last year; and 3,814,523 intermodal units, up 8.7% from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 5, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 329,212 carloads, a 3.7% increase from the same week last year, and 355,864 intermodal units, a 10.3% rise from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 685,076 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.0%.
For the week ending April 5, 2025, Canadian railroads reported 92,356 carloads, down 3.3%, and 72,096 intermodal units, down 0.6% compared with the same week last year.
Mexican railroads reported 10,066 carloads for the week ending April 5, 2025, dropping 22.1% from same point last year, and 9,974 intermodal units, increasing 9.4%.
