30 Apr 2021 | 19:14 UTC — Houston
Weekly US coal train loadings fall 0.6% on week, rise 28.4% on year: STB
By Tyler Godwin
Highlights
Central Appalachian loadings jump to 15-month high
Cumulative average US loadings down 2.3% on year
Houston — US coal train loadings decreased in the week ended April 23, despite loadings from Central Appalachia jumping to a 15-month high, Surface Transportation Board data showed April 30.
Data filed to the STB by the four major Class I railroads -- CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern -- show US loadings averaged 73.9 trains/day, down 0.6% from 74.4 trains/day in the prior week but 28.4% higher than the 57.5 trains/day averaged in the year-ago week.
Since Jan. 1, total loadings have averaged 71.2 trains/day, down 2.3% from 72.8 trains averaged in the same period a year ago.
Average PRB loadings rose to a seven-week high 41.2 trains/day in the latest week, up from 40.1 trains/day in the prior week and 30.3 trains/day in the year-ago week.
Cumulative PRB loadings this year are at 38.5 trains/day, down from 40.7 trains/day averaged in the same period a year ago.
Central Appalachia loadings jumped to a 15-month high 15.2 trains/day, up from 13.8 trains/day a week earlier and 9.8 trains/day in the year-ago week. It was the highest weekly loadings from the region since 15.7 trains/day in the week ended Jan. 17, 2020.
Loadings from the CAPP region in 2021 have averaged 12.3 trains/day, down from 12.8 trains averaged a year ago.
However, loadings in Northern Appalachia fell to a 16-week low 8.4 trains/day, down from 9.2 trains in the prior week but up from 6.3 trains/day in the year-ago week. It was the 14th straight week that was higher than year-ago levels.
Cumulative loadings in Northern Appalachia have averaged 9.9 trains/day in 2021, up from 9.1 trains averaged last year.
Illinois Basin loadings fell to 4.1 trains/day, down from 5.3 trains a week earlier and 5 trains/day averaged in the year ago-week.
Since Jan. 1, Illinois Basin loadings have averaged 4.6 trains/day, up from 4.1 trains a year ago.
Loadings from outside of the primary basins decreased to a 15-week low 5 trains/day, from 6 trains/day a week earlier and 6.1 trains/day in the year-ago week.