AAR reports rail traffic for the week wnding May 24, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 24, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 488,709 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending May 24 were 226,091 carloads, up 3.8 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 262,618 containers and trailers, down 1.8 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 6,096 carloads, to 56,416; miscellaneous carloads, up 1,703 carloads, to 10,537; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,090 carloads, to 32,051. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 778 carloads, to 10,559; chemicals, down 358 carloads, to 33,088; and forest products, down 247 carloads, to 8,343.

For the first 21 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 4,580,934 carloads, up 2.3 percent from the same point last year; and 5,699,709 intermodal units, up 7.0 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2025 was 10,280,643 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending May 24, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,466 carloads, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 345,345 intermodal units, down 0.8 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 675,811 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 21 weeks of 2025 was 14,173,143 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 87,174 carloads for the week, up 2.9 percent, and 72,688 intermodal units, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 21 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 3,407,247 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.7 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 17,201 carloads for the week, up 26.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 10,039 intermodal units, up 4.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 21 weeks of 2025 was 485,253 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 10.1 percent from the same point last year.