North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 12,137,882 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers for the 18-week period ending May 3, 2025. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 8,805,607 carloads and intermodal units, rising 5.2% from the same period in 2024; in Canada, 2,903,028 carloads and intermodal units, increasing 0.2%; and in Mexico, 429,247 carloads and intermodal units, falling 8.9%.
Results were similar through the first 17 weeks of 2025 (ending April 26).
According to the AAR, U.S. Class I railroads carried 498,693 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 3, 2025, up 7.6% compared with the same point last year. That comprised 225,641 carloads, up 5.6% from 2024, and 273,052 containers and trailers, up 9.4% from last year.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 11,602 carloads, to 58,614; chemicals, up 1,965 carloads, to 34,376; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 1,386 carloads, to 16,772. Commodity groups that posted declines included nonmetallic minerals, down 1,999 carloads, to 30,919; metallic ores and metals, down 1,085 carloads, to 19,231; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,032 carloads, to 9,607.
For the first 18 weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,903,379 carloads, a 1.8% increase over 2024; and 4,902,228 intermodal units, an 8.1% increase over last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 3, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 334,973 carloads, up 4.1% from the same week last year, and 362,255 intermodal units, up 8.2% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,228 carloads and intermodal units, a 6.2% boost over last year.
For the week ending May 3, 2025, Canadian railroads reported 94,256 carloads, down 0.7%, and 78,395 intermodal units, up 3.3% compared with the same week last year.
Mexican railroads reported 15,076 carloads for the week ending May 3, 2025, gaining 14.1% from the same point last year, and 10,808 intermodal units, rising 15.6%.
