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Rail, Intermodal Traffic Fall for Week
Intermodal rail traffic in the United States fell 15.7% last week from the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said in its weekly report.
Total intermodal volume dropped to 206,293 units, from 244,828 last year. Containers fell 10% to 173,701 units, while trailer volume plunged 37% to 32,592 units.
Freight rail traffic, which excludes intermodal traffic fell 17.2% compared with last year to 277,734 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.