Coal news and updates

US coal carload originations rose to 61,475 in the week ended March 27, up 2.8% from 59,816 a week earlier, and 1.5% higher than the year-ago week, according to a March 31 report from the Association of American Railroads.

 

It was the third time in the last 22 months with a week-on-week and yearly increase. However, the latest week was down 11.1% from the five-year average for the corresponding week.

Coal carloads represented 11.8% of all the traffic on US railways, up from 11.7% a week earlier, but down from 12.2 % in the year-ago week.

 

Since Jan. 1, cumulative coal carloads are at 716,295, down 6.1% 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 -- also rose to 7,659 carloads, up 6.6% from a week earlier and 0.9% higher than the year-ago week. Year-to-date coal originations are up 10.1% on the year at 86,499.

 

Of the four major Class I railroads -- Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific and BNSF -- only BNSF and CSX saw weekly and year-on-year increases.

 

BNSF reported 28,354 coal carload originations and interchanges in the latest week, up 12.3% from the prior week and 10.7% higher than in the year-ago week, according to rail-reported data.

 

So far in 2021, total BNSF carloads are at 316,217, down 7.7% from the same period a year earlier.

 

Union Pacific reported a five-week low 11,849 coal carload movements in the most recent week, down 4.2% from the previous week and 13.8% lower year on year.

 

It was the second straight week and third time in the last 21 months that Union Pacific carloads were lower than the other three major Class I railroads. Union Pacific has reported the second-largest amount of coal carloads every year for over 13 years.

 

Cumulative coal carloads so far in 2021 for UP are at 151,930, down 14.2% from the same period a year ago.

 

CSX coal carloads rose to 13,251, up 1.4% from a week earlier and 2.6% higher than the year-ago week.

 

Since Jan. 1, CSX coal carloads have totaled 150,432, down 2.7% from a year ago.

 

Norfolk Southern reported 12,580 coal cars loaded in the latest week, down 5.5% from the prior week but 0.1% higher on the year.

 

Total coal carloads for NS are at 146,797 since Jan. 1, up 3.6% from the same period a year ago.

 

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