U.S. intermodal traffic rose 7.4% for the week ended Saturday from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Container traffic jumped 8.4% to 197,716 units, while trailer traffic rose 1.3% to 31,375 units.
Railroad carloads excluding intermodal rose 5.5% to 298,560 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.