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For the second-straight week — and the fourth time this year — U.S. railroads set a seven-day intermodal traffic record. During the week ending June 19, the roads moved 220,285 trailers and containers, a 12.4 percent increase compared with similar 2003 data, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Weekly carload traffic figures continued to climb, as well. The roads moved 339,201 units, up 4.4 percent compared with the same 2003 week. Total estimated volume of 30.8 billion ton-miles rose 5.1 percent.

During 2004's first 24 weeks, U.S. roads moved 8,040,264 carloads, up 3.5 percent, and 4,899,249 trailers and containers, up 8.7 percent compared with last year.

Canadian roads posted a strong weekly carload total — up 11 percent to 66,953 units — but intermodal loads were up less than one-tenth of one percent to 42,924 units.

During the year's first 24 weeks, Canadian roads moved 1,621,834 carloads, up 8.5 percent, and 993,021 trailers and containers, down 0.1 percent compared with similar 2003 data.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 24 weeks, 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian roads moved 9,662,098 carloads, up 4.3 percent, and 5,892,270 trailers and containers, up 7.2 percent compared with last year.

The weekly traffic news wasn't as good for Mexico's TFM S.A. de C.V. During the week ending June 19, TFM moved 11,382 carloads, up 0.6 percent, and 2,057 trailers and containers, down 53.5 percent compared with the same 2003 week. Through 24 weeks, TFM's carloads are up 1.4 percent but intermodal loads are down 18.2 percent.