AAR: U.S. roads top weekly intermodal volume record a second time

For the second-straight week, U.S. railroads set an intermodal volume record. They logged 272,553 containers and trailers in the week ending June 21, besting the high-water mark they set the week before, according to the Association of American Railroads.

On a year-over-year basis, intermodal volume rose 7.8 percent. For the week ending June 21, U.S. roads also registered 291,142 carloads, up 0.9 percent. Total combined weekly traffic increased 4.2 percent to 563,695 units as eight of 10 carload commodity groups posted gains, led by grain at 15 percent and forest products at 12.2 percent.

Canadian railroads reported 86,918 carloads for the year's 25th week, up 13 percent, as well as 59,760 intermodal units, up 8.4 percent. Mexican railroads' weekly carloads rose 4.9 percent to 16,765 units, but their intermodal volume declined 3 percent to 10,662 units.

Through 2014's first 25 weeks, 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads handled 9,486,951 carloads, up 2.3 percent, and 8,013,208 containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent compared with the same 2013 period.