AAR: Intermodal lifts U.S. rail traffic numbers in week No. 10

The intermodal business has again given a boost to U.S. railroads' weekly traffic.

For the week ending March 14, total U.S. traffic was 553,031 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.5 percent increase over the same week in 2014, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). U.S. railroads carried a total of 278,856 carloads, down 3.5 percent, and 274,175 intermodal containers and trailers, up 7 percent.

Two of the 10 commodity groups posted gains: Grain climbed 7.8 percent to 22,71 carloads; and miscellaneous soared 16.7 percent to 7,979 carloads.

Canadian railroads posted gains in carloads, up 8.3 percent to 79,425, and in intermodal units, up 12.1 percent to 58,541 for the week. Mexican railroads carried 16,362 carloads, a 2.8 percent increase, and 11,314 intermodal units, a 12.8 percent increase.

For the first 10 weeks of 2015, total combined U.S. traffic was 5,259,929 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent; Canadian traffic was 1,345,168 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.2 percent; and Mexican traffic was 267,870 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.8 percent compared with the same period in 2014.