Intermodal Rail Volume Drops 15.7%

U.S. rail intermodal traffic fell for the third straight week, declining 15.7% in the week ended Feb. 21 compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Railroads moved 213,617 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR reported Feb. 25 in its weekly report. The drop follows a 0.1% decline the prior week.

Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, declined 11.5% year-over-year to 473,161 carloads.

Grain was the only commodity group out of the 10 that AAR tracks to increase volume at 4% over the same period last year.

Intermodal volume for all of North America declined 13.3% to 275,361 trailers and containers.

Canadian railroads moved 50,580 intermodal units, a 4.7% drop. Mexican rail moved 15,697 units, a 1.9% decline from the same time last year.

Year-to-date U.S. intermodal volume declined 2.3% to 1.69 million units.