Coal news and updates

US coal carload originations rose to a seven-week high 64,252 in the week that ended April 24, up 4.3% from 61,600 a week earlier and 33.5% higher than the year-ago week, according to a April 28 report from the Association of American Railroads.

 

It was the fifth time in the last 23 months with week-on-week and yearly increases, while the 33.5% year-on-year increase was the largest in over nine years. However, the latest week was down 7.6% from the five-year average for the corresponding week.

Coal carloads represented 11.9% of all the traffic on US railways, up from 11.6% a week earlier, but down from 12% in the year-ago week.

 

Since Jan. 1, cumulative coal carloads are at 963,944, down 0.7% 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 – fell to 6,631 carloads, down 9.5% from a week earlier and 7.2% lower than the year-ago week. Year-to-date coal originations are up 6% on the year at 113,398.

 

For the second time in the last two years, all four major Class I railroads -- Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific and BNSF – saw weekly and year-on-year increases.

 

BNSF reported a six-week high 29,144 coal carload originations and interchanges in the latest week, up 3.6% from the prior week and 39.5% higher than in the year-ago week, according to rail-reported data.

 

So far in 2021, total BNSF carloads are at 430,756, up 0.2% from the same period a year earlier.

 

Union Pacific reported a seven-week high 13,295 coal carload movements in the most recent week, up 2.8% from the previous week and 0.2% higher year on year.

 

Cumulative coal carloads so far in 2021 for UP are at 200,446, down 12.6% from the same period a year ago.

 

CSX coal carloads rose to 11,855, up 1.7% from a week earlier and 29.2% higher than the year-ago week.

 

Since Jan. 1, CSX coal carloads have totaled 198,605, up 0.5% from a year ago.

 

Norfolk Southern reported 13,195 coal cars loaded in the latest week, up 6.3% from the prior week and 68.8% higher on the year.

 

Total coal carloads for NS are at 197,753 since Jan. 1, up 9.8% from the same period a year ago.

 

Source : https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/coal