US weekly coal train loadings average 55.1 trains/d, hit six-year low: STB

Houston — Weekly US coal train loadings averaged 55.1 trains/day in the week ended May 22, down 0.8 train/day from the previous week, Surface Transportation Board data showed Friday.

From the year-ago week, loadings declined 44.8 trains/day. According to the data available to S&P Global Platts, the most recent had its lowest weekly average loadings per day in six years.

The decline in loadings from the previous week was driven by the Illinois Basin and Northern Appalachia. Powder River Basin and Central Appalachian average loadings both rose week on week.

IB loadings averaged 3.4 trains/day, down 0.4 train/day from the week before and down 4.2 train/day from the year-ago week.

Through 20 weeks, IB loadings averaged 4.2 trains/day.

NAPP loadings fell 2.1 trains/day from the previous week to 3.8 trains/day in the most recent week. Loadings declined 9.4 trains/day year on year.

Over the year so far, NAPP loadings averaged 8.8 trains/day.

Loadings in the PRB averaged 31 trains/day, up 1.3 trains/day from the week before and down 23.1 trains/day from the year-ago week.

Over 20 weeks, PRB loadings averaged 39.9 trains/day.

CAPP loadings totaled 11.2 trains/day, up 0.7 train/day from the previous week and down 7.3 trains/day year on year.

Through the year so far, CAPP loadings averaged 12.7 trains/day.

In other basins, loadings averaged 5.7 trains/day in the most recent week, down 0.3 train/day from the week before and down 1.2 trains/day from the year-ago week.

Over 20 weeks, loadings averaged 6.1 trains/day.