IANA: INTERMODAL TRAFFIC REFLECTS ECONOMY
Rail intermodal traffic was down 2 percent in the third quarter, primarily due to slower growth in the economy, according to a recent report by the Intermodal Association of North America.
IANA's 'Rail Intermodal Traffic Report' said most of the decline was in trailer traffic, down 10.5 percent compared with the same period in 2000. ISO containers declined 1.4 percent due to reduced import traffic and a decline in exports. Domestic container traffic remained strong, however, increasing 5.9 percent. Container traffic in July and August was up 2 percent while September saw a 1-percent decline. The report points out that most of the September traffic was already en route before the events of Sept. 11, and that those shipments may have been delayed at the ports, causing them to roll over into the fourth quarter.
The report highlights several intermodal corridors that carried a minimum of 100,000 units, which showed mixed results in the most recent quarter. The South Central and Southwest corridor grew 3.7 percent on the strength of eastbound containers, while the Midwest-Southwest corridor grew 1.3 percent due to a 6.3-percent increase in eastbound (import and domestic) container traffic and a 2.1-percent rise in westbound (export and domestic) container traffic.