Weekly Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises as Carloads Decline

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Association of American Railroads

U.S. rail intermodal traffic rose 3.8% in the week ended April 4 compared with the same week last year as carloads declined, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Railroads moved 271,127 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR said April 8 in its weekly report. The rise follows a 5% increase the prior week.

Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, declined 6.2% year-over-year to 277,894 carloads.

Among the 10 commodity groups AAR tracks, two improved over last year: Grain rose 5.7%, and forest products increased 2.3%.

Intermodal volume for 13 reporting North American railroads increased 3.3% to 340,265 trailers and containers.

Canadian railroads moved 61,736 intermodal units, a 5.8% rise. Mexican rail moved 7,402 units, a 25.8% decline from the same time last year.

Year-to-date U.S. intermodal volume increased 0.4% to 3.3 million units.