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Intermodal Traffic Plunges for Week
Rail and intermodal traffic plunged for the week ended Dec. 20 from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Intermodal traffic fell 16.5%, led by 16.9% drop in containers to 146,201 units, while trailers fell 15.3% to 45,613.
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.