Intermodal Traffic Rises 1.1% for Week
U.S. intermodal traffic rose 1.1% in the first week in April compared with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Trailer traffic dropped 11.4% to 29,471 units, while containers rose 3.2% to 201,682 units, AAR said.
Railroad carloads excluding intermodal declined 6.2% to 286,962 units, the rail trade group said in its weekly report.
This year’s period — the week leading up to Easter — included Good Friday, while last year it fell three weeks later.
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.
