U.S. freight railroads post 5.5% traffic increase in Week 17

U.S. freight railroads hauled 502,105 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 26, a 5.5% increase compared with traffic in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Carloads totaled 233,411 for the week, a 9% increase, while intermodal volume totaled 268,694 containers and trailers, a 2.6% increase.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks every week posted increases. They included coal, up 30.9% to 59,526 carloads; grain, up 24.4% to 25,181; and chemicals, up 4.1% to 35,183.

Commodity groups that posted decreases were nonmetallic minerals, down 5.4% to 32,343 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, down 8.5% to 15,618; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 0.6% to 9,732.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads logged 94,065 carloads for the week, up 1%, and 80,430 intermodal units, up 6.4%. Mexican railroads posted 15,699 carloads, down 6.4%, and 11,327 intermodal units, down 14.3%.

For the first 17 weeks of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024:

• U.S. railroads reported cumulative rail traffic of 8,306,914 carloads and intermodal units, up 5%;

• Canadian railroads posted 2,730,377 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2%; and

• Mexican railroads reported 403,363 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.1%.