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After posting a carload gain for the month of January, U.S. railroads got off to a good start in February.

During the month's first week ending Feb. 9, the roads originated 316,031 carloads, up 1.2 percent compared with traffic from the same 2007 week, according to the Association of American Railroads. However, intermodal volume dropped 3.5 percent to 225,205 units.

Through 2008's first six weeks, U.S. railroads originated 1.9 million carloads, up 1 percent, and 1.3 million containers and trailers, down 3.3 percent compared with totals from the same 2007 period. Total volume of an estimated 194.4 billion ton-miles represented a 2 percent increase from 2007's level.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads had a good week on two counts. During the period ending Feb. 9, their carloads increased 1.2 percent to 73,794 units and intermodal volume rose 2.4 percent to 46,204 units compared with traffic from the same 2007 week.

Through six weeks, Canadian railroads' carloads decreased 2.4 percent year over year to 433,914 units, but intermodal volume increased 8.2 percent to 273,458 units.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through six weeks, reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads originated 2.3 million carloads, up 0.3 percent, and 1.6 million containers and trailers, down 1.5 percent compared with totals from the same 2007 period.