North American rail traffic up 4.2% for the week ending March 22

The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 22. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,214 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 22 were 224,904 carloads, up 4.5% compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 271,310 containers and trailers, up 6.3% compared to 2024. Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 3,766 carloads, to 57,497; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,014 carloads, to 29,612; and metallic ores and metals, up 1,685 carloads, to 20,198. One commodity group posted a decrease compared with the same week in 2024: forest products, down 333 carloads, to 8,204. For the first 12 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,539,670 carloads, down 0.6% from the same point last year; and 3,263,041 intermodal units, up 8.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 12 weeks of 2025 was 5,802,711 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.2% compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending March 22, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 333,674 carloads, up 3% compared with the same week last year, and 358,481 intermodal units, up 5.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 692,155 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2%. North American rail volume for the first 12 weeks of 2025 was 7,962,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.6% compared with 2024. Publicly traded companies in the space include CN (CNI), CSX (CSX), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Rail Vision (RVSN), FreightCar America (RAIL), GATX (GATX), Wabtec (WAB) and J.B. Hunt (JBHT)….