Coal news and updates

Delays decrease again for US railroad coal shipments: STB filings

Coal carload delays on the four major US railroads mostly declined for the second straight week, data filed with the US Surface Transportation Board showed Wednesday.

Data in EP 724 filings for the week ended April 3 showed long delays for loaded coal trains of more than five days were down, though intermediate delays of two to five days saw an increase.

The STB began requiring all Class I railroads to file weekly EP 724 reports in October 2014 following prolonged industry-wide delays in rail shipments.

BNSF reported 74 loaded coal cars were not moved in more than five days, down from 99 the previous week, and 267 loaded coal cars did not move from two to five days, up from 255.

The railroad reported that 64,523 open hopper cars, which are primarily used for transporting coal, traveled the railroad during the week out of a total volume of 239,746 cars.

On average, each day there were 50.3 trains on the railroad loaded with Powder River Basin coal, up almost four trains a day from last week, and 2.6 trains loaded with coal from outside the primary basins.

CSX

CSX saw an increase of intermediate delays, with 4,707 loaded cars not moved from two to five days, up from 3,338 cars last week.

Delays of more than five days were down to 237 cars from 386 cars the previous week.

CSX reported that 50,417 open hopper cars traveled the railroad during the week out of a total volume of 211,651 cars.

On average, each day 11.5 trains on the railroad were loaded with Central Appalachian coal, 6.3 trains were loaded with Northern Appalachian Coal, 5.1 trains were loaded with Illinois Basin coal and 1.6 trains were loaded with Southern Appalachian Coal.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN

Norfolk Southern saw another week-on-week decline in long delays. The railroad reported 311 cars not moved in more than five days, down from 715 the previous week.

For the week ended March 20, backups caused long delays for 1,013 cars.

Intermediate delays were up, with 2,392 cars not moved in two to five days, compared with 2,004 cars the previous week.

Norfolk Southern reported that 38,589 open hopper cars traveled the railroad during the week out of a total volume of 189,004 cars.

On average, each day 10 trains on the railroad were loaded with Northern Appalachian Coal, 9.1 trains were loaded with Central Appalachian coal and 5.7 trains were loaded with Illinois Basin coal.

UNION PACIFIC

Union Pacific saw an increase in long delays but cut its intermediate delays almost in half week on week.

The railroad reported that 99 loaded coal cars were not moved for more than five days, up from 86 cars the previous week, and 176 loaded cars did not move from two to five days, down from 318 cars.

Union Pacific reported that 45,147 open hopper cars traveled the railroad during the week out of a total volume of 292,886 cars.

On average, each day 20.6 trains on the railroad were loaded with Powder River Basin coal, 3.1 trains were loaded with Unita Basin coal and 0.7 trains were loaded with Illinois Basin coal.

source: http://www.platts.com