Railroad traffic at 21-year low

Railroad traffic at 21-year low    The Association of American Railroads said total carload traffic on U.S. railroads in 2009 was at its lowest levels since at least 1988, when the AAR's data series began.
   2009 carload traffic was down 16.1 percent compared with 2008, and down 18.2 percent when compared with 2007.
   U.S. rail intermodal traffic, which covers the movement of truck trailers and shipping containers by rail, posted slightly better year-end numbers with traffic down 14.1 percent compared with 2008, and down 17.7 percent compared to 2007.
   Another organization, the Intermodal Association of North America, said in November that while movement of international containers and trailers on flat car were down in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2008, by 23 percent and 25 percent respectively, domestic container movements were up in the same period by about 1 percent.