Railway carloadings, December 2025
Released: 2026-02-24
31.0 million metric tonnes
December 2025
-2.0% 
(12-month change)
Highlights
In December, Canadian railways transported 31.0 million tonnes of freight, down 2.0% compared with December 2024, mainly due to fewer shipments of iron ores and coal.
In 2025, the volume of goods moved by rail totalled 376.6 million tonnes, down slightly (-0.2%) from the total volume in 2024.
Consult the Rail Data Visualization Hub to explore monthly and annual rail statistics in an interactive format.
December 2025
The volume of non-intermodal freight (mainly commodities) in Canada was down 1.7% year over year to 24.8 million tonnes in December, led by large declines in two commodities. In December, loadings of iron ores and concentrates fell 10.1% (-515 000 tonnes) from the same month in 2024, while loadings of coal were down 9.8% (-324 000 tonnes).
Partly offsetting these declines were loadings of other cereal grains, up 69.6% (+307 000 tonnes) from December 2024 to December 2025, and oil seeds and nuts and other agricultural products, up 61.6% (+190 000 tonnes).
Intermodal freight loadings (mainly containers) rose 2.0% year over year to 2.8 million tonnes in December 2025, representing their 10th consecutive month of growth.
Finally, freight traffic from US rail connections declined year over year for the 11th straight month, down 7.4% to 3.3 million tonnes in December 2025.
Chart 1
Railway carloadings, total tonnage
Year in review, 2025
Canadian railways moved a total of 376.6 million tonnes of freight during 2025, down marginally (-0.2%) from 2024 levels. While volumes shipped by rail experienced monthly variations during 2025, the overall total was similar to that in 2024 (377.3 million tonnes).
Strong carloadings of grains—in particular wheat—and a record volume of intermodal traffic (mainly containers) in 2025 helped to offset sharp declines in freight traffic received from US rail connections as well as other commodities.
A bumper 2025 harvest and strong global demand meant that grain shipments by rail remained strong throughout the year. For instance, with the exception of February, carloadings of wheat saw double-digit year-over-year increases each month from January to November 2025. Other cereal grains also experienced substantial growth in January (+103.9%) and September (+72.7%) 2025.
Chart 2
Railway carloadings components, total tonnage, 2020 to 2025
In 2025, non-intermodal freight loadings in Canada totalled 299.8 million tonnes, up marginally (+0.9%) from 2024. Meanwhile, intermodal freight traffic (mainly containers) rose 7.4% from 2024, reaching an-all time high of 37.5 million tonnes in 2025.
Freight loadings from US rail connections experienced significant double-digit year-over-year decreases through much of 2025. Indeed, annual tonnage fell by 13.3% from 2024 to 39.3 million tonnes in 2025, representing the lowest annual level since 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key commodities shift in 2025
During 2025, growth in non-intermodal freight traffic was driven by large increases in some agricultural and food products, especially grains. Carloadings of wheat led the increases, with loadings rising 14.3% (+3.9 million tonnes) from 2024 to reach 31.1 million tonnes in 2025.
Similarly, loadings of other cereal grains grew 23.4%, from 6.3 million tonnes in 2024 to 7.8 million tonnes in 2025, marking the largest annual increase since 2018.
A notable increase was also reported for coal, rising 4.4% from 2024 to 38.5 million tonnes in 2025, driven by strong international demand from Asia.
Chart 3
Railway carloadings, largest commodity differences, 2024 to 2025
The growth in non-intermodal freight traffic during 2025 was somewhat moderated by decreases in three commodities. Loadings of fuel oils and crude petroleum fell sharply by 11.0% (-1.2 million tonnes) from 2024 to 10.0 million tonnes in 2025.
Similarly, loadings of canola fell 12.4% from 10.0 million tonnes in 2024 to 8.8 million tonnes in 2025, largely attributable to trade tensions with China.
Finally, loadings of lumber were down 12.1% from 2024 to total 7.3 million tonnes in 2025, marking the largest drop in tonnage in over five years.
Focus on Canada and the United States
Over 2023 and 2024, freight traffic received from US rail connections in Canada represented an average of 12.0% of total rail tonnage each month. This share declined throughout 2025, averaging 10.7% during the first quarter of 2025, then 10.5% during the second quarter and 10.6% during the third quarter. The proportion dipped further to 10.0% in the fourth quarter.
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 web page.
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).
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