Coal news and updates

US coal train loadings jumped to a 13-month high in the week ended March 5, despite loadings from Northern and Central Appalachia declined on the week, Surface Transportation Board data showed March 12.

 

Data filed to the STB by the four major Class I railroads — CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern — show US loadings averaged 77.6 trains/day, up 11.2% from 69.8 trains/day in the prior week and 10.3% higher than the 70.4 trains/day averaged in the year-ago week. It was the most loadings since 82.4 trains/day averaged in the week ended Jan. 31, 2020.

 

Since falling to a near eight-month low in the week ended Feb. 19 due to a winter storm that affected shipments across the country, loadings have seen double-digit percentage increases in consecutive weeks, marking the second such occurrence in the last six years (also during the weeks ended April 5 and April 12, 2019).

 

Since Jan. 1, total loadings have averaged 69.6 trains/day, down 11.2% from 78.4 trains averaged in the same period a year ago.

 

Average PRB loadings rose to a 13-week high 42.5 trains/day in the latest week, up from 35.6 trains/day in the prior week and 38.4 trains/day in the year-ago week.

 

Cumulative PRB loadings so far this year are at 37.8 trains/day, down from 45.2 trains/day averaged in the same period a year ago.

 

Central Appalachia loadings declined to 12.3 trains/day, down from 12.7 trains/day a week earlier, but up from 11.9 trains/day in the year-ago week.

 

Loadings from the CAPP region so far in 2021 have averaged 11.8 trains/day, down from 13.2 trains averaged a year ago.

 

Loadings in Northern Appalachia fell to 10.3 trains/day, down from 10.4 in trains the prior week, but up from 10.2 trains/day in the year-ago week. It was the seventh straight week that was higher than year-ago levels.

 

Cumulative loadings in Northern Appalachia have averaged 9.7 trains/day in 2021, down from 9.8 trains averaged last year.

 

Illinois Basin loadings rose to an eight-week high 5.4 trains/day, up from 4.3 trains a week earlier and 3.8 trains/day averaged in the year ago-week.

 

Since Jan. 1, Illinois Basin loadings have averaged 4.5 trains/day, up from 4.1 trains a year ago.

 

Loadings from outside of the primary basins increased to a 15-month high of 7.1 trains/day, from 6.8 trains/day a week earlier and 6 trains/day in the year-ago week.

 

Source : https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com