Total U.S. coal rail traffic for the week ended May 18 rose 7.3% year over year to 84,256 carloads, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

Year-to-date coal rail traffic fell 4.3% through the week, while total rail traffic for the week decreased 1.8% year over year to 536,358 carloads and intermodal units.

BNSF Railway Co. coal shipment volumes clocked in at 36,511 carloads in the week ended May 18, up 6.3% from the previous week's 34,336 carloads and rising 9.8% compared to 33,265 carloads in the year-ago week.

Union Pacific Corp.'s coal shipment volumes this week were at 17,459 carloads, falling 3.9% from 18,170 carloads the previous week but up 1.5% over the previous year's weekly volume of 17,200.

Eastern railroad CSX Transportation Inc.'s shipment volumes of coal stood at 15,817 carloads, up less than 1% from the previous week's 15,807 carloads and up by 8.3% compared to 14,606 carloads the same week in the previous year.

Norfolk Southern Corp.'s coal shipment volumes totaled 22,026 carloads for the week, rising 7.3% from the previous week's 20,523 carloads and jumping 10.9% compared to 19,864 carloads the same week a year ago.

Kansas City Southern's latest weekly coal shipment volume was 1,840 carloads, sliding 24.5% from 2,436 carloads the previous week. The railroad serves 10 U.S. states and Mexico.

Data collected by S&P Global Market Intelligence from railroads indicate both cars originated on their lines during the week and cars received from a connecting railroad during the same week.