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Intermodal Traffic Rises 2.1% for Week
U.S. rail intermodal traffic rose 2.1% last week from the same week a year ago to 247,569 units, the Association of American Railroads said.
Railroad carloads declined 0.4% for the week ended Saturday to 523,207 units, and fell 0.4% for the month to 1.1 million units, according to AAR.
Intermodal traffic rose 1.6% to 962,019 units in April from the same month last year, AAR said.
Separately, the Intermodal Association of North America reported this week that first-quarter intermodal shipments rose 4.5% from a year ago to 3.68 million units.
Domestic container shipments rose the most, 10.2%, while trailer shipments fell 6.3%. International shipments rose 3%, IANA said.
Railroad volume is considered an important economic indicator. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be higher-value merchandise than bulk commodities, uses trains for the long haul and trucks for shorter distances at either end of the trip.
