Bruce Harmon/Trans PixsU.S. rail intermodal traffic rose 10.2% last week over the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Container traffic for the week ended Saturday rose 12.6% to 209,828 units, but trailer traffic fell 3.6% to 30,291 units, AAR said.
Railroad carloads — excluding intermodal — rose 0.9% to 290,223 units for the week, AAR said in its weekly report.
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 shorter distances at either end of the trip.
