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U.S. intermodal traffic rose 4.3% for the week ended Saturday from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

Container traffic climbed 6.4% to 214,774 units and trailers fell 8.9% to 29,952, the rail trade group said in its weekly report.

Railroad carloads excluding intermodal rose 1.3% to 291,381 units, AAR said.

Railroad volume is considered an important economic indicator. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be higher-valued merchandise than bulk commodities, uses trains for the long haul and trucks for the shorter distance at either end of the trip.