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Rail and intermodal traffic declined last week compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

Intermodal traffic fell 2.8%, led by a 7.8% drop in trailer traffic to 48,557 units, AAR said. Containers fell 1.4% to 187,193 units.

Overall rail traffic fell 2.4% for the week ended Saturday to 326,374 carloads, the group said in its weekly report.

AAR estimated total volume at 34.5 billion ton-miles, down 1.4% from the same week last year.

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.