Weekly Intermodal Traffic Declines for First Time in 11 Months

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Bruce Harmon/Trans Pixs

U.S. rail intermodal traffic dropped for the first time in 11 months, the Association of American Railroads reported Jan. 21.

Intermodal volume dipped 2.4% for the week ended Jan. 17. Railroads moved 260,893 intermodal trailers and containers, AAR said in its weekly report.

The previous decline of 5.7% occurred during the week of Feb. 21 when railroads moved 236,625 containers.

Despite the decline, intermodal volume was the second-highest on record for a January week, according to AAR.



Rail carload volume, which excludes intermodal units, increased 0.3% year-over-year to 290,963 carloads.

Five of the 10 commodity groups AAR tracks increased over last year, led by grain at 18.2%.

Intermodal volume for all of North America declined 0.6% to 330,972 trailers and containers.

Canadian railroads moved 58,844 intermodal units, a 7.4% increase. Mexican rail moved 11,235 units, a 4.3% rise from the same time last year.

For the first two weeks of 2015, intermodal volume declined 0.3% to 501,840 units from last year.