advertisement

---

U.S. railroads set another intermodal-volume record during the week ending Nov. 22, moving 211,337 containers or trailers – 100 units more than the previous record set five weeks earlier, according to Association of American Railroads data.

The ten highest intermodal-volume periods in U.S. roads’ history have occurred during an 11-week period that began the week of Sept. 13. During that time, roads moved 2,087,422 trailers or containers, an 11.5 percent increase compared with the same 2002 period.

Last year, U.S. railroads moved a record 9,349,630 trailers or containers. If current volume levels continue, roads will break that record this week and record total 2003 volume approaching 10 million trailers or containers by month’s end, AAR said.

Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) quarterly "Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics" report acknowledges a volume uptick. During the third quarter, intermodal volume increased 3 percent compared with third-quarter 2002, led by 4.5 percent and 2.5 percent rises in domestic and international containers, respectively – the sixth-straight quarter showing a volume increase.

Each of the seven largest volume corridors showed quarterly growth compared with the same 2002 period, including Trans-Canada (up 6.7 percent) and South Central–Southwest (5.4 percent).

If growth continues through the fourth quarter, the North American intermodal industry should have its best back-to-back volume years since 1993-1994, IANA officials said in a prepared statement.