Weekly US coal carload originations total 62,229, up 6% on week: AAR

Houston — Weekly US coal carload originations totaled 62,229 in the week ended Oct. 10, up 6% from the previous week, Association of American Railroads data showed Oct. 14.

Originations were at a seven-week high, while year on year, originations declined 15.7%, the smallest drop from the year-ago week in 29 weeks. Additionally, in the most recent week, coal took up 12% of total US rail traffic, the highest percentage in five weeks.

The five-year average for week 41, the most recent week, is 86,011, leaving carloads at a 27.7% deficit.

Through the year so far, coal originations totaled nearly 2.4 million, down 26.7% from the year-ago period.

Canadian coal carload originations totaled 6,495, down 5.1% week on week and down 17.6% from the year-ago week. Canadian coal carloads were also at their lowest in five weeks, while year to date, originations were 262,093, down 17.5% year on year.

Coal carloads from the four major US railroads totaled 66,736 in week 41, down 16.6% from the year-ago week. Through the year to date, carloads were over 2.5 million, down 27.6% year on year.

BNSF coal carloads totaled 27,557, down 4.8% from the week before and down 22.6% from the year-ago week. Coal also took up 13.7% of total traffic on the rail, the least amount in 14 weeks.

Through 41 weeks, BNSF coal carloads were about 1.1 million, down 22.6% from the year-ago period.

On Union Pacific, coal carloads were 14,327, a four-week high. Week on week, they rose 13.4%, while compared to the year-ago week, they declined 8.9%. In week 41, coal produced 8.9% of all UP traffic, a four-week high.

To date, UP coal traffic totaled 579,708, down 23.4% from the year-ago period.

Coal carloads on CSX totaled 11,813, flat from the previous week and down 22.9% from the year-ago week. In the most recent week, coal took up 8.9% of all traffic, a four-week high.

Over the year so far, CSX coal carloads were 435,079, down 30.2% year on year.

Norfolk Southern coal carloads totaled 11,651, up 18.5% week on week and down 19.3% from the year-ago week. In the most recent week, coal accounted for 8.3% of all NS weekly traffic, the highest in five weeks.

Year to date, NS coal carloads were 421,764, down 40.2% year on year.