Weekly Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises as Carloads Decline 7.9%
U.S. rail intermodal traffic rose 5.6% in the week ended April 25 compared with the same week last year as carload traffic declined 7.9%, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Railroads moved 279,012 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR announced April 29 in its weekly report. The rise follows the prior week’s 8.1% increase and the highest volume this year.
Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, declined to 278,294 carloads year-over-year.
Motor vehicles and parts increased 1% from the same week last year, the only commodity group of the 10 tracked by AAR to post a rise. Coal carloads declined 13.3%, and grain dropped 8.6%.
Last week, six of the 10 commodity groups that AAR tracks improved over last year. Motor vehicles and parts had the highest increase with a 7.2% rise, followed by miscellaneous carloads at 6.3%.
AARIntermodal volume for 13 reporting North American railroads increased 5.2% to 351,858 trailers and containers.
Canadian railroads moved 62,456 intermodal units, a 3.9% rise. Mexican rail moved 16,501 units, a 15.5% rise from the same time last year.
Year-to-date, U.S. intermodal volume increased 1.3% to 4.1 million units.
