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After moving more carloads but fewer intermodal loads in April's first week, U.S. railroads registered opposite results in the second week. During the period ending April 12, the roads originated 329,508 carloads, down 2.9 percent, and 227,366 containers and trailers, up 1.9 percent compared with totals from the same week in 2007, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Through 2008's first 15 weeks, U.S. railroads' carloads totaled 4.8 million units, up 1 percent, and intermodal volume totaled 3.3 million units, down 3.5 percent year over year. Total volume reached an estimated 500 billion ton-miles, representing a 2.2 percent increase compared with volume from 2007's first 15 weeks.

Canadian railroads posted similar results for the week ending April 12. Their carloads totaling 74,843 units dropped 9.1 percent, but intermodal volume totaling 49,842 units rose 5.8 percent compared with totals from the same period last year.

Through 15 weeks, Canadian railroads originated 1.1 million carloads, down 2.8 percent, and 691,845 containers and trailers, up 4.7 percent compared with volumes from the same 2007 period.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 15 weeks, reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads originated 5.9 million carloads, up 0.3 percent year over year, and 4 million intermodal loads, down 2.1 percent vs. last year's total.