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Strong grain and coal volumes helped U.S. railroads boost carloads in the year's 16th week.

During the period ending April 19, the roads originated 336,847 carloads, up 1.5 percent compared with volume from the same 2007 week, according to Association of American Railroads data. Grain and coal carloads rose 17.4 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

However, the railroads' intermodal volume totaling 224,112 containers and trailers declined 3.2 percent year over year.

During the year's first 16 weeks, U.S. railroads originated 5.2 million carloads, up 1 percent, and 3.5 million containers and trailers, down 3.5 percent compared with totals from the same 2007 period. Total estimated volume rose 2.3 percent to 534.9 billion ton-miles.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads continued to post opposite traffic results. During the week ending April 19, their carloads dropped 5 percent to 75,135 units, but intermodal volume rose 2.5 percent to 49,942 units vs. last year.

Through 16 weeks, Canadian railroads originated 1.2 million carloads, down 3 percent, and 741,787 containers and trailers, up 4.6 percent compared with totals from the same 2007 period.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 16 weeks, reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads boosted carloads 0.3 percent to 6.4 million units, but registered a 2.2 percent drop in intermodal volume to 4.2 million units vs. last year's totals.