Weekly US rail traffic for the week ending 11 January 2025

Total carloads for the week ending January 11 were 199 511 carloads, down 6.4% compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265 879 containers and trailers, up 8.9% compared to 2024.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included grain, up 2386 carloads, to 21 124; farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1424 carloads, to 17 442; and forest products, up 401 carloads, to 8588. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 6241 carloads, to 52 232; motor vehicles and parts, down 3886 carloads, to 9788; and non-metallic minerals, down 3211 carloads, to 22 229.

For the first two weeks of 2025, US railroads reported cumulative volume of 398 011 carloads, down 5.5% from the same point last year; and 488 789 intermodal units, up 7.8% from last year. Total combined US traffic for the first two weeks of 2025 was 886 800 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.4% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending 11 January 2025, on 9 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads totalled 305 986 carloads, down 2.7% compared with the same week last year, and 348 125 intermodal units, up 8.9% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 654 111 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1%. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2025 was 1 236 879 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5% compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 91 438 carloads for the week, up 5.8%, and 71 361 intermodal units, up 11.2% compared with the same week in 2024. For the first two weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 304 983 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.1%.

Mexican railroads reported 15 037 carloads for the week, down 0.1% compared with the same week last year, and 10 885 intermodal units, down 4.2%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first two weeks of 2025 was 45 096 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 6.4% from the same point last year.

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