U.S. intermodal traffic continues double-digit growth

U.S. intermodal traffic continues double-digit growth Intermodal traffic carried by U.S. railroads increased 26 percent to about 168,000 trailers and containers in the week ended Dec. 25, bringing the year-to-date intermodal volume to 10.8 million units, 10 percent higher than in the first 51 weeks of 2003.
   Trailer traffic moved by railroads in the Christmas week rose 28 percent to about 44,000 units, while container volume increased 25 percent to about 124,000 units.
   “Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up sharply during the week ended Dec. 25 in comparison with the corresponding week last year,” said the Association of American Railroads, which compiles the statistics.
   Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 272,421 cars in the latest weeklong period, up 7 percent from last year.
   On Canadian railroads, during the week ended Dec. 25, intermodal volume jumped 19 percent to about 32,000 trailers and containers.
   The Mexican railroad Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana reported an intermodal volume of 2,965 originated trailers or containers, up 73 percent from the 51st week of 2003.