Intermodal, Rail Traffic Fall for Week, Month
Intermodal rail traffic fell 16.8% for the week ended Saturday, compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads said.
Total intermodal volume fell to 187,203 units, from 225,059. Container volume fell 11.7%, while trailer volume plunged 35.4%, the group said.
Overall freight rail traffic fell 24.5% for the week, to 253,573 carloads, AAR said.
The month of April saw a drop in intermodal traffic as well, falling 17.9% compared with last year to 917,981 units. Rail traffic fell 23% to 1,278,794 carloads in the same period, 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.
