Intermodal Levels Fall for Week
Rail traffic rose slightly, but intermodal traffic continued a downward trend in falling for the week ended Saturday from the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.
Rail intermodal volume dropped 4.4% year-over-year to 240,657 trailers and containers, AAR said in its weekly report.
Container volume dipped 3.4% to 186,924 units, while trailer volume fell 7.8% to 53,733 units.
Overall rail carload traffic totaled 341,396 carloads, up 0.8% from a year ago, the group said.
Railroad volume is considered an important economic indicator. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be higher-valued merchandise than bulk commodities, uses trains for the long haul and trucks for the shorter distance at either end of the trip.