WEEKLY intermodal volumes have reached new highs in 2010, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Its figures show that 236,400 trailers and containers were moved in intermodal service during the week ending August 21, and increase of 22.4 per cent from the same period in 2009. This marked a new weekly high for the year, exceeding the volumes carried during the week ending August 14, AAR said.

Weekly container volume was the highest on record, with an increase of 24.2 per cent from the same period in 2009. Trailer volume, the other subset of intermodal, grew by 12.4 per cent that week compared with the same week in 2009 but fell 30.5 per cent compared with 2008 totals, AAR was cited as saying in a report by Massachusetts-based DC Velocity.

In addition, railcar manufacturer The Greenbrier Companies has received orders from major North American railroad and railcar leasing companies for more than 1,000 new railcars capable of handling "double-stacked," 53-foot containers, as well as an order to extend 1,100 existing cars to 53 feet from smaller dimensions.

Source: shipping online