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Rail, Intermodal Traffic Fall for Week
Rail and intermodal traffic both declined for the week ended June 28 compared with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Intermodal traffic fell by 4.5%, led by a 5% drop in container traffic to 179,319 units. Trailers declined 2.4% to 50,357 units.
Overall rail traffic fell 2.2% for the week, to 328,564 carloads, 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.