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Intermodal Traffic Falls for Week
Rail and intermodal traffic fell last week from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Intermodal traffic for the week ended Saturday decreased 9.8%, led by a 16.5% drop in trailers, to 46,500 units from 58,075 last year, AAR said. Container traffic dropped 7.6%.
Rail traffic fell 8.5%, while an estimated 32 billion ton-miles were shipped by rail, down from 34.5 billion 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.