AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending January 18, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 18, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 500,160 carloads and intermodal units, up 25.9 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending January 18 were 216,457 carloads, up 25.1 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,703 containers and trailers, up 26.5 percent compared to 2024.

All of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 11,698 carloads, to 59,223; chemicals, up 6,334 carloads, to 34,150; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6,001 carloads, to 24,622.

For the first three weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 614,468 carloads, up 3.4 percent from the same point last year; and 772,492 intermodal units, up 14.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first three weeks of 2025 was 1,386,960 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 9.1 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending January 18, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 323,633 carloads, up 22.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 368,180 intermodal units, up 27.0 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 691,813 carloads and intermodal units, up 25.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first three weeks of 2025 was 1,928,692 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.9 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 92,085 carloads for the week, up 22.7 percent, and 73,196 intermodal units, up 34.9 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first three weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 470,264 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.6 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,091 carloads for the week, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,281 intermodal units, down 1.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first three weeks of 2025 was 71,468 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 4.4 percent from the same point last year.