AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending April 26, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 26, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 502,105 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 26 were 233,411 carloads, up 9.0 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,694 containers and trailers, up 2.6 percent compared to 2024.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 14,090 carloads, to 59,726; grain, up 4,945 carloads, to 25,181; and chemicals, up 1,379 carloads, to 35,183. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were nonmetallic minerals, down 1,834 carloads, to 32,343; motor vehicles and parts, down 1,448 carloads, to 15,618; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 63 carloads, to 9,732.

For the first 17 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,677,738 carloads, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year; and 4,629,176 intermodal units, up 8.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 17 weeks of 2025 was 8,306,914 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.0 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 26, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 343,175 carloads, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 360,451 intermodal units, up 2.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 703,626 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 17 weeks of 2025 was 11,440,654 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 94,065 carloads for the week, up 1.0 percent, and 80,430 intermodal units, up 6.4 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 17 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,730,377 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,699 carloads for the week, down 6.4 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,327 intermodal units, down 14.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 17 weeks of 2025 was 403,363 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.1 percent from the same point last year.