Intermodal Traffic Hits High for Year

Intermodal rail traffic rose to its highest level of the year last week, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

Traffic for the week ended Saturday totaled 233,767 trailers and containers, up 20.8% from the same week last year, but 1.4% below the comparable week in 2008, AAR said.

Containers jumped 22.4% to 199,859 units year-over-year, while trailers gained 12.3% to 33,908 units, the group said in its weekly report.

U.S. railroads originated 295,548 carloads for the week, up 7.1% from the same week last year, but 11.3% off the comparable level two years ago.

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.