US weekly coal carloads fall to over 10-year low: AAR

Houston — US coal carload originations fell to a 10-year low 48,423 in the week that ended April 18, down 7.7% from 52,468 a week earlier and 42.3% lower than the year-ago week, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday.

The latest total was also down 39.3% from the five-year average and was the lowest for the corresponding week in over 10 years.

"Rail volumes suffered again last week as extremely difficult times for rail customers and the economy continued," said AAR Senior Vice President John Gray. "Like everyone else, railroads are looking forward to a return to normalcy and an end to the significant challenges associated with the pandemic."

Coal carloads represented 12% of all the traffic on US railways, down from 12.7% a week earlier and 16% in the year-ago week, according to the data.

Since January 1, cumulative coal carloads are at 991,937, down 20.1% from the same period a year ago.

However, coal originations on Canadian railroads – including the US operations of Canadian National, which serves several mines in the Illinois Basin – totaled 7,391 carloads, up 8.4% from the prior week but 2.3% lower than in the year-ago week.

Of the four major Class I railroads -- Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific and BNSF -- NS was the only one to see a week-on-week increase. However, all four saw yearly decreases.

BNSF reported over a nine-year low 18,574 coal carload originations and interchanges in the latest week, down 18.6% from the prior week and 49.6% lower than in the year-ago week, according to rail-reported data.

So far in 2020, total BNSF carloads are up to 453,709, down 12.4% from the same period a year earlier.

Union Pacific reported 12,676 coal carload movements in the most recent week, down 2.4% from the previous week and 31.2% lower year on year.

Cumulative coal carloads so far in 2020 for UP are at 230,690, down 23.3% from the same period a year ago.

CSX coal carloads fell to a 16-week low 11,035, down 2.3% on the week and down 32.5% compared with the year-ago week. It was the lowest week since 9,557 in the week ended December 28, 2019.

Since January 1, CSX coal carloads have totaled 201,836, down 20.1% from a year ago.

Norfolk Southern reported 9,538 coal cars loaded in the latest week, up 4.3% from the prior week but 51.4% lower than in the year-ago week.

Total coal carloads for NS are at 184,590 since January 1, down 35.6% from the same period a year ago.