The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 19, 2025.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,053 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending April 19 were 224,436 carloads, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,617 containers and trailers, up 5.4 percent compared to 2024.
Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They were coal, up 10,124 carloads, to 57,595; miscellaneous carloads, up 615 carloads, to 10,057; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 11 carloads, to 16,722. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,103 carloads, to 9,652; nonmetallic minerals, down 992 carloads, to 30,795; and motor vehicles and parts, down 412 carloads, to 16,459.
For the first 16 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,444,327 carloads, up 1.1 percent from the same point last year; and 4,360,482 intermodal units, up 8.3 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 16 weeks of 2025 was 7,804,809 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.0 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending April 19, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 329,345 carloads, down 0.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 356,351 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 685,696 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 16 weeks of 2025 was 10,737,028 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 91,382 carloads for the week, down 5.5 percent, and 73,995 intermodal units, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 16 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,555,882 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.0 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 13,527 carloads for the week, down 20.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,739 intermodal units, down 15.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 16 weeks of 2025 was 376,337 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.1 percent from the same point last year.
