AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending May 03, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 3, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 498,693 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 3 were 225,641 carloads, up 5.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 273,052 containers and trailers, up 9.4 percent compared to 2024.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 11,602 carloads, to 58,614; chemicals, up 1,965 carloads, to 34,376; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,386 carloads, to 16,772. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included nonmetallic minerals, down 1,999 carloads, to 30,919; metallic ores and metals, down 1,085 carloads, to 19,231; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,032 carloads, to 9,607.

For the first 18 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,903,379 carloads, up 1.8 percent from the same point last year; and 4,902,228 intermodal units, up 8.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 18 weeks of 2025 was 8,805,607 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.2 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 3, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,973 carloads, up 4.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 362,255 intermodal units, up 8.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,228 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2025 was 12,137,882 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 94,256 carloads for the week, down 0.7 percent, and 78,395 intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 18 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,903,028 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.2 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 15,076 carloads for the week, up 14.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,808 intermodal units, up 15.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 18 weeks of 2025 was 429,247 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 8.9 percent from the same point last year.