AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending January 11, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 11, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 465,390 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending January 11 were 199,511 carloads, down 6.4 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,879 containers and trailers, up 8.9 percent compared to 2024.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included grain, up 2,386 carloads, to 21,124; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,424 carloads, to 17,442; and forest products, up 401 carloads, to 8,588. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 6,241 carloads, to 52,232; motor vehicles and parts, down 3,886 carloads, to 9,788; and nonmetallic minerals, down 3,211 carloads, to 22,229.

For the first two weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 398,011 carloads, down 5.5 percent from the same point last year; and 488,789 intermodal units, up 7.8 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first two weeks of 2025 was 886,800 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.4 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending January 11, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 305,986 carloads, down 2.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 348,125 intermodal units, up 8.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 654,111 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2025 was 1,236,879 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 91,438 carloads for the week, up 5.8 percent, and 71,361 intermodal units, up 11.2 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first two weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 304,983 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.1 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,037 carloads for the week, down 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,885 intermodal units, down 4.2 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2025 was 45,096 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 6.4 percent from the same point last year.