Intermodal Traffic Rises 3.5% for Week

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Bruce Harmon/Trans Pixs

U.S. intermodal traffic rose 3.5% for the week ended Saturday from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Container traffic rose 4.4% to 204,748 units, while trailer traffic slipped 1.7% to 34,432 units.

Railroad carloads excluding intermodal increased 3.4% year-over-year to 298,465 units, AAR said in its weekly report.

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.