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Rail and intermodal traffic fell for the week ended Jan. 3 from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

Intermodal traffic fell 10.5%, led by 15% drop in trailers to 33,718, while containers fell 9.4% to 130,084 units.

Overall rail traffic fell 16.7% to 277,883 carloads, AAR said.

In all of 2008, intermodal traffic was 11,517,240, down 509,391 units, or 4.2%, from 2007. Overall rail traffic was down 2.2%.

Total rail traffic, combining intermodal and other rail freight, was 28.09 million units in 2008, making it the fourth-highest year total in history, 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.