U.S. freight railroads post 8.6% traffic gain in Week 13

U.S. freight-rail traffic for the week ending March 29 was 513,553 carloads and intermodal units, a  8.6% incxrease compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total carloads for the week were 235,865, up 7.8%, while weekly intermodal volume was 277,688 containers and trailers, up 9.4%.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups tracked weekly by the AAR posted gains. They included coal, up 22.1% to 63,028 carloads; grain, up 10.4% to 23,167; and motor vehicles and parts, up 9.1% to 17,745.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included metallic ores and metals, down 2.4% to 20,620 carloads; forest products, down 3.9% to 8,375; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 2.2% to 10,111.

Canadian railroads logged 96,435 carloads in the week, up 4%, and 77,833 intermodal units, up 9.7%. Mexican railroads posted 16,962 carloads, down 15.7%, and 12,299 intermodal units, down 7.3%.

For the first 13 weeks of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024:

• U.S. railroads posted 6,316,264 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.5%;
• Canadian railroads reported 2,056,954 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.3%; and
• Mexican railroads logged 306,768 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 8.8%.