U.S. freight rail traffic rose 3.7% in Week 6

Total U.S. freight-rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 8 was 502,449 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7% compared to the traffic levels in same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR)  data.

U.S. railroads logged 218,393 carloads, a 0.7% decrease, and 284,056 containers and trailers, a 7.4% increase.

Eight of the 10 carload commodities tracked by the AAR each week posted posted traffic increases for the week. They included chemicals, up 3.8% to 34,390 carloads; nonmetallic materials, up 4.8% to 27,904; and miscellaneous carloads, up 10.5% to 9,003. 

The two commodity groups that logged decreases were coal, down 7.7% to 56,636 carloads; and metallic ores and metals, down 8.3% to 16,917. 

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 82,323 carloads for the week, down 11.5%; and 68,639 intermodal units, down 1.2%. Mexican railroads posted 14,457 carloads, down 18.9%; and 12,251 intermodal units, down 3.8%.

For the first six weeks of 2025 compared with volumes in the same period in 2024:
• U.S. railroads logged 2,857,828 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3% increase;
• Canadian railroads reported 938,998 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.6%; and
• Mexican railroads posted 126,569 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.4%.