Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises to Record Level in January
Intermodal rail traffic rose to an average of 251,267 units per week in January, the highest weekly average for the month on record, the Association of American Railroads reported.
For the month, intermodal volume increased 0.9% to 1 million units, from the same time last year. Total traffic increased 3.4% to 2.2 million units, AAR said Feb. 4 in its weekly report.
“January was a good start to the year for U.S. railroads, helped by the fact that the winter so far this year hasn’t been nearly as bad as it was last year,” AAR Senior Vice President John Gray said in a statement.
The average total units per week in January increased to 541,477, the second-highest for the month on record after January 2006.
Eighteen of the 20 commodity groups AAR tracks increased over last year, led by crushed stone, gravel and sand at 22.1%.
Intermodal container traffic for the week ended Jan. 21 increased 1.1% to 249,910 units. Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, increased 5.9% year-over-year to 548,476 carloads.
Intermodal volume on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads increased 6% to 322,135 trailers and containers.
Canadian railroads moved 61,500 intermodal units, a 32.4% increase. Mexican rail moved 20,725 units, a 3.9% rise from the same time last year.
Association of American Railroads
