March opens ahead for rail carloads

Weekly U.S. rail traffic was 508,531 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending March 1, up 5.4% from the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Total carloads were 222,757, up 1.4%, while intermodal volume totaled 285,774 containers and trailers, up 8.8% from 2024.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. Grain led gainers, up 1,491 carloads or 7.7%, to 20,924; followed by coal, up 2,692 carloads or 4.7%, to 60,073; and motor vehicles and parts, up 543 carloads, or 3.4%, to 16,435.

Weaker shipments, including nonmetallic minerals such as sand and stone, was down by 1,424 carloads, or 7.7%, to 27,396; metallic ores and metals, off 723 carloads, or 3.7%, to 18,964; and farm products excluding grain and food, down 224 carloads, or 1.3%, to 17,567.

For the first nine weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,869,282 carloads, 2% weaker, and 2,436,330 intermodal units, up 8.5%, y/y. Total combined traffic for the first nine weeks of 2025 was 4,305,612 carloads and intermodal units, ahead 3.7%.

North American rail volume for the week ending March 1 on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,217 carloads, up 2.6% from the year-ago week, and 364,051 intermodal units, up 6.8%. Total traffic was 692,268 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8%. Rail volume for the first nine weeks of 2025 was 5,899,561 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.3%.

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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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