AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending May 31, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 31, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 459,884 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 31 were 219,599 carloads, up 6.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 240,285 containers and trailers, down 1.5 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 8,509 carloads, to 60,123; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,432 carloads, to 30,560; and chemicals, up 1,761 carloads, to 32,383. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 were motor vehicles and parts, down 886 carloads, to 13,887; forest products, down 637 carloads, to 7,832; and miscellaneous carloads, down 201 carloads, to 7,776.

For the first 22 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,800,533 carloads, up 2.5 percent from the same point last year; and 5,939,994 intermodal units, up 6.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 22 weeks of 2025 was 10,740,527 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.8 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 31, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,141 carloads, up 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 326,719 intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 653,860 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.9 percent. North American rail volume for the first 22 weeks of 2025 was 14,827,003 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 91,107 carloads for the week, up 3.5 percent, and 77,834 intermodal units, up 9.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 22 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,576,188 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 16,435 carloads for the week, up 11.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 8,600 intermodal units, down 24.6 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 22 weeks of 2025 was 510,288 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 9.8 percent from the same point last year.