US coal carload originations fell to a 10-year low of 52,468 in the week ended April 11, down 8.8% from 57,504 a week earlier and 36.1% lower than the year-ago week, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday.
The latest total was also down 34.8% from the five-year average and was the lowest for the corresponding week in over 10 years.
Coal carloads represented 12.7% of all the traffic on US railways, down from 13.4% a week earlier and 15.5% in the year-ago week, according to the data.
Since January 1, cumulative coal carloads were at 943,514, down 18.5% from the same period a year ago.
Coal originations on Canadian railroads – including the US operations of Canadian National, which serves several mines in the Illinois Basin – totaled 6,820 carloads, down 4% from the prior week and 15.1% lower than the year-ago week.
For the second straight week, all four major Class I railroads -- Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific and BNSF -- saw week-on-week and yearly decreases.
BNSF reported a 12-month low 22,814 coal carload originations and interchanges in the latest week, down 9.2% from the prior week and 30.7% lower than the year-ago week, according to the data. It was the lowest weekly total since 22,048 in the week ended April 6, 2019.
So far in 2020, total BNSF carloads were up to 435,135, down 9.5% from the same period a year earlier.
Union Pacific reported 12,986 coal carload movements in the most recent week, down 2.5% from the previous week and 27.7% lower year on year.
Cumulative coal carloads so far in 2020 for UP were at 218,014, down 22.8% from the same period a year ago.
CSX coal carloads fell to a 15-week low 11,291, down 2.1% on the week and down 36.2% compared with the year-ago week. It was the lowest since 9,557 in the week ended December 28, 2019.
Since January 1, CSX coal carloads have totaled 190,801, down 19.2% from a year ago.
Norfolk Southern reported 9,149 coal cars loaded in the latest week, down 17.9% from the prior week and 56.2% lower than in the year-ago week.
Total coal carloads for NS were at 175,052 since January 1, down 34.4% from the same period a year ago.
Source: Platts |
