North American rail volume on nine reporting U.S. Canadian, and Mexican railroads came in at 5,899,561 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers for the nine-week period ending March 1, 2025. Cumulative volume in the U.S. was 4,305,612 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7% compared with the same point in 2024; in Canada, 1,384,628 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.7%; and in Mexico, 209,321 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.2%.
According to the AAR, U.S. Class I railroads carried 508,531 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending March 1, 2025, a 5.4% increase over the same week last year. That comprised 222,757 carloads, up 1.4% from 2024, and 285,774 containers and trailers, up 8.8% from last year.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups for the week ending March 1, 2025, posted an increase compared with the prior-year period. They included coal, up 2,692 carloads, to 60,073; grain, up 1,491 carloads, to 20,924; and motor vehicles and parts, up 543 carloads, to 16,435. Commodity groups that posted declines included nonmetallic minerals, down 1,424 carloads, to 27,396; metallic ores and metals, down 723 carloads, to 18,964; and farm products excluding grain, and food, down 224 carloads, to 17,567.
For the first nine weeks of this year, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,869,282 carloads, a drop-off of 2.0% from the same point last year; and 2,436,330 intermodal units, a gain of 8.5% from last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 1, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,217 carloads, rising 2.6% from the same week last year, and 364,051 intermodal units, increasing 6.8% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 692,268 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8%.
Canadian railroads reported 91,245 carloads for the week ending March 1, 2025, a 2.4% gain, and 66,807 intermodal units, a 6.0% dip from the same week in 2024.
For the week ending March 1, 2025, Mexican railroads reported 14,215 carloads, a 28.5% increase from the year-earlier period, and 11,470 intermodal units, a 61.5% jump-up.
Further Reading:
- AAR: U.S. Rail Traffic Down for Week 8
- AAR: U.S. Rail Volume Up Through Feb. 15
- AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 6
- AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 5
- AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 4
- AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 3
- For North American Rail Traffic, a Positive Start to 2025
- AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up in First Week of 2025
- AAR: U.S. Rail Volume Up for 2024
