Highlights
In May, the volume of cargo carried by Canadian railways edged up (+0.1%) from May 2024 to 32.7 million tonnes, on higher shipments of wheat, iron ores and potash.
Cargo tonnage in May 2025 was above the five-year average for the month, second only to the record high of 34.7 million tonnes set in May 2019.
Chart 1: Railway carloadings, total tonnage
The traffic increase in May was the result of higher volumes of domestic loadings, both non-intermodal loadings (mainly commodities) and intermodal loadings (mainly containers), offsetting another decline in freight traffic from connections with American railways.
Carloadings of wheat, iron ores and potash drive increase
Non-intermodal freight loadings in Canada were up for the third consecutive month, rising 1.4% year over year to 25.8 million tonnes in May, led by large increases in three commodities.
The largest increase was reported in wheat, with loadings up 24.8% (+536 000 tonnes) from May 2024, following strong gains in March (+12.9%) and April (+13.4%) 2025.
Year over year, loadings of iron ores were up 6.9% (+335 000 tonnes) in May, while loadings of potash posted the largest increase in almost a year, up 12.1% (+269 000 tonnes) from May 2024.
Chart 2: Railway carloadings, largest commodity differences, May 2024 to May 2025
Description - Chart 2
Data table: Railway carloadings, largest commodity differences, May 2024 to May 2025
Source: Table 23-10-0216-02.
Carloadings of fuel oils and lumber continue to decline
Growth in commodity traffic in May 2025 was moderated by sharp declines in loadings of several commodities.
Loadings of fuel oils and crude petroleum continued to fall in May, down 23.3% (-223 000 tonnes) compared with May 2024, marking the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year decline. The decrease coincided with lower exports of Crude oil and bitumen by rail, as reported by the Canadian international merchandise trade release for May 2025.
Loadings of lumber were 13.2% (-105 000 tonnes) below May 2024 levels, the seventh consecutive monthly year-over-year decline, while loadings of cement posted a sharp year-over-year decline, falling 46.2% (-130 000 tonnes) compared with May 2024.
Intermodal traffic up again
In May 2025, intermodal shipments—mainly containers—originating in Canada increased year over year for the third month in a row, up 7.2% to 3.4 million tonnes.
Intermodal rail volume reached its highest level on record for the month of May, reflecting strong growth in Canada's imports of consumer goods during the same month.
American freight traffic continues to drop
In May 2025, freight loadings from US rail connections totalled 3.6 million tonnes, a decline of 13.2% (-543 000 tonnes) from the same month a year earlier. This was the lowest volume recorded for the month of May in four years and came on the heels of large year-over-year decreases in March (-15.0%) and April (-22.5%) 2025.
According to Canadian international merchandise trade data, Canada's imports (-34.0%) and exports (-16.8%) by rail with the United States in May 2025 were down significantly year over year.
Focus on Canada and the United States
Freight traffic received from US connections fell 13.2% (-543 000 tonnes) year over year to 3.6 million tonnes in May 2025, the fourth straight month of double-digit declines in tonnage.
In 2023 and 2024, traffic received from US connections represented an average 12.0% of total rail tonnage each month. This proportion edged down to 11.3% in January 2025, then to just over 10% in February and March. In April, it dipped below 10%, then reached 10.9% in May.
Statistics Canada continues to monitor potential impacts of tariffs on railway carloading statistics.
For more data and insights on areas touched by the socio-economic relationship between Canada and the United States, see the Focus on Canada and the United States webpage.
Note to readers
The Monthly Railway Carloadings Survey collects data on the number of rail cars, tonnage, units and 20-feet equivalent units from railway transporters operating in Canada that provide for-hire freight services.
Cargo loadings from Armstrong, Ontario, to the Atlantic Coast are classified to the eastern division (Eastern Canada), while loadings from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to the Pacific Coast are classified to the western division (Western Canada).
Survey data are revised on a monthly basis to reflect new information.
The data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
The Transportation Data and Information Hub, featuring data from Statistics Canada, Transport Canada and partners, provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and indicators for the country's transportation sector.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).