U.S., Canada, Mexico Rail Traffic: Performance Insights for Professionals

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Introduction

U.S. freight-rail traffic increased by 3.6% to 503,538 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending October 4, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). This rise compared to the same week in 2024.

U.S. Rail Traffic Performance

U.S. railroads transported 224,972 carloads, reflecting a slight increase. Intermodal units, comprising containers and trailers, rose by 6.7% to 278,566.

Commodity-Specific Carload Trends

Of the ten carload commodities tracked weekly, six experienced growth. Nonmetallic minerals saw an increase of 6.9%, reaching 31,710 carloads. Chemicals rose by 5.9% to 32,919 carloads, and motor vehicles and parts increased by 5.3%, totaling 16,154 carloads.

Conversely, some commodity groups faced declines. Coal decreased by 7.7% to 56,252 carloads. Farm products, excluding grain and food, dropped by 2.1% to 17,658 carloads, and petroleum and petroleum products fell by 2.5% to 10,538 carloads.

Canadian and Mexican Rail Traffic

Canadian railroads reported 93,421 carloads for the week, a decrease of 1.4%, and 72,787 intermodal units, up 6%. Mexican railroads reported 12,463 carloads, a significant increase of 45.1%, and 14,909 intermodal units, up 82.9%.