The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 22, 2025.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,214 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 22 were 224,904 carloads, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,310 containers and trailers, up 6.3 percent compared to 2024.
Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 3,766 carloads, to 57,497; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,014 carloads, to 29,612; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,685 carloads, to 20,198. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2024: forest products, down 333 carloads, to 8,204.
For the first 12 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,539,670 carloads, down 0.6 percent from the same point last year; and 3,263,041 intermodal units, up 8.2 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2025 was 5,802,711 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 22, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,674 carloads, up 3.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 358,481 intermodal units, up 5.3 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,155 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of 2025 was 7,962,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 93,141 carloads for the week, up 1.8 percent, and 76,988 intermodal units, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 12 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,882,686 carloads, containers and trailers, down 0.2 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 15,629 carloads for the week, down 9.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,183 intermodal units, down 11.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 12 weeks of 2025 was 277,507 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 8.4 percent from the same point last year.
