The Association of American Railroads has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 17, 2025.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 490,775 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending May 17 were 229,226 carloads, up 7.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 261,549 containers and trailers, up 0.3 percent compared to 2024.
Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 8,809 carloads, to 59,207; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,221 carloads, to 10,279; and grain, up 1,195 carloads, to 21,108. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were forest products, down 266 carloads, to 7,937; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 56 carloads, to 10,274.
For the first 20 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported a cumulative volume of 4,354,843 carloads, up 2.2 percent from the same point last year, and 5,437,091 intermodal units, up 7.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 20 weeks of 2025 was 9,791,934 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.1 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending May 17, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 338,480 carloads, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 349,473 intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 687,953 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 20 weeks of 2025 was 13,497,647 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with 2024.
Canadian railroads reported 92,712 carloads for the week, up 0.0 percent, and 77,376 intermodal units, up 6.8 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 20 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,247,385 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.6 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 16,542 carloads for the week, up 27.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,548 intermodal units, up 9.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 20 weeks of 2025 was 458,328 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 11.2 percent from the same point last year.
