Total intermodal volume rose to 200,807 units, from 195,182 last year, AAR said in its weekly report.
Containers rose 6% to 169,372 units, while trailers dropped 11.1% to 31,435 units.
Freight rail traffic, which excludes intermodal traffic, grew 3.9% from to 277,420 carloads, AAR said.
Railroad volume is considered an important economic indicator. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be higher-valued merchandise than bulk commodities, uses trains for the long haul and trucks for the shorter distance at either end of the trip.
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