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Intermodal Traffic Falls for Week
Intermodal rail traffic in the United States fell 15.6% last week from the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said in its weekly report.
Total intermodal volume fell to 202,553 units, from 240,081 last year. Containers fell 9.4% to 171,367 units, while trailer volume plunged 38.7% to 31,186 units.
Freight rail traffic, which excludes intermodal traffic, reached its highest level since Dec. 31, but still fell 16.2% compared with last year to 285,580 carloads, AAR 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.