Sustained declines in coal train loadings from the Powder River Basin have pushed down total US volumes to a 2017-low weekly total, Surface Transportation Board filings showed.
Data filed by the four major US railroads -- BSNF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific -- for the week ending May 5 showed nationwide coal loadings averaged 82.4 trains/d, down from 89.2 trains/d the previous week. US loadings were last lower the final week of 2016 at 81.1 trains/d.
PRB coal loadings averaged 44.5 trains/d, down from 46.7 trains/d the previous week. PRB counts have slipped for three straight weeks and were last lower 49 weeks ago on May 27 last year at 41.4 trains/d.
Central Appalachia loadings fell for the first time in five weeks as volumes dipped to 15.2 trains/d from a year-high 17.4 trains/d the prior week.
Northern Appalachia coal loadings slipped to 9.5 trains/d from 9.7 trains/d, while Illinois Basin loadings fell to 6.3 trains/d from 7.5 trains/d.
Elsewhere, Utica Basin increased to 3.7 trains/d from 3.6 trains/d, while loadings from outside the primary basins dropped to 3.1 trains/d from 4.3 trains/d.
