Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises as Carloads Continue Decline
![intermodal-rail-yard-flickr-spokane.jpg Image](/sites/default/files/images/articles/intermodal-rail-yard-flickr-spokane.jpg)
![](/images/intermodal-photo-chart-0624.jpg)
![](/images/062415-Weekly-Rail-Traffic-Chart-1.jpg)
U.S. rail intermodal traffic rose for the week ended June 13 as carloads declined for the 11th consecutive week, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Intermodal traffic increased 1.6% from the same week last year to 276,907 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR announced June 24 in its weekly report.
The rise follows a 4.9% increase the prior week. Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, dropped 6.1% year-over-year to 271,098 carloads.
The last carload increase was the week of April 18, when volume rose 1.2%.
Four of the 10 commodity groups tracked by AAR posted an increase in traffic for the week, led by miscellaneous products at 15.7%.
Intermodal volume for 13 reporting North American railroads increased 2.3% to 351,477 trailers and containers.
North American carload volume, excluding intermodal, declined 6.9% to 368,270.
Canadian railroads moved 62,761 intermodal units, a 5.1% rise. Mexican rail moved 11,809 units, a 5.1% increase from the same time last year.
Year to date, U.S. intermodal volume increased 2.2% to 6.3 million units.
For the first 24 weeks of the year, carloads declined 3.6% to 6.7 million from the same time last year, according to AAR.