North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was 1,928,692 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers for the three-week period ending Jan. 18, 2025. Cumulative volume in the U.S. came in at 1,386,960 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.1% compared with the same point in 2024; in Canada, 470,264 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.6%; and in Mexico, 71,468 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.4%.
According to the AAR, U.S. Class I railroads hauled 500,160 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, a 25.9% increase over the same week last year. That comprised 216,457 carloads, up 25.1% from 2024, and 283,703 containers and trailers, up 26.5% from last year.
For the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, all 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase from the same week last year. They included coal, up 11,698 carloads, to 59,223; chemicals, up 6,334 carloads, to 34,150; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6,001 carloads, to 24,622.
For the first three weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 614,468 carloads, up 3.4% from the same point last year; and 772,492 intermodal units, up 14.0% from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 323,633 carloads, up 22.9% from the same week last year, and 368,180 intermodal units, up 27.0% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 691,813 carloads and intermodal units, rising 25.1%.
Canadian railroads reported 92,085 carloads for the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, a 22.7% increase, and 73,196 intermodal units, a 34.9% gain over the same week last year.
For the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, Mexican railroads reported 15,091 carloads, down 0.8% vs. the year-ago period, and 11,281 intermodal units, down 1.1%.
