AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending January 04, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 4, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 421,410 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.0 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending January 4 were 198,500 carloads, down 4.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 222,910 containers and trailers, up 6.6 percent compared to 2024.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 2,664 carloads, to 31,747; petroleum and petroleum products, up 919 carloads, to 10,852; and forest products, up 156 carloads, to 8,006. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 5,075 carloads, to 56,471; motor vehicles and parts, down 2,987 carloads, to 6,448; and metallic ores and metals, down 2,455 carloads, to 17,631.

For the first week of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 198,500 carloads, down 4.6 percent from the same point last year; and 222,910 intermodal units, up 6.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first week of 2025 was 421,410 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.0 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending January 4, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 289,826 carloads, down 5.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 292,942 intermodal units, up 5.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 582,768 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first week of 2025 was 582,768 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 80,417 carloads for the week, down 6.1 percent, and 61,767 intermodal units, up 3.8 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first week of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 142,184 carloads, containers and trailers, down 2.0 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 10,909 carloads for the week, down 7.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,265 intermodal units, down 16.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first week of 2025 was 19,174 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 11.9 percent from the same point last year.