U.S. freight-rail traffic climbs 4.5% in Week 5

U.S. weekly freight-rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 1 totaled 513,622 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.5% increase compared with traffic levels in the same week last year, according to  Association of American Railroads data.

Carloads for the week totaled 222,071 carloads, a 0.1% decrease, while intermodal volume reached 291,551 containers and trailers, a 8.2% increase.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted an increase. Gainers included chemicals, up 4.2% to 33,374 carloads; grain, up 5.5% to 22,114; and nonmetallic minerals, up 2.6% to 26,637.

Commodity groups that logged a decrease include coal, down 4.5% to 59,863 carloads; metallic ores and metals, down 3.3% to 18,815; and forest products, down 5.8% to 8,271.

Canadian railroads during the week logged 90,301 carloads, down 1.6%, and 71,385 intermodal units, also down 1.6%. Mexican railroads reported 13,296 carloads, a gain of 0.8%; and 11,807 intermodal units, a gain of 35.5%.

For the first five weeks of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024:
• U.S. railroads reported 2,355,379 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.6% increase;
• Canadian railroads logged 788,036 carloads, trailers and containers, a 5.9% increase; and
• Mexican railroads posted 123,091 carloads and intermodal units, a16% increase.