US coal train loadings slipped slightly week on week as volumes stayed relatively flat across the major basins.
Data filed to the Surface Transportation Board by the four major US railroads -- CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern -- for the week ending December 8 shows US coal loadings averaged 103.6 trains/d, down from 104.7 trains/d the previous week.
Powder River Basin loadings grew marginally to 59.4 trains/d from 58.5 trains/d the prior week, and Illinois Basin loadings ticked higher to 8.3 trains/d from 8.1 trains/d.
Central Appalachia loadings inched up to 17.9 trains/d from 17.8 trains/d, and Northern Appalachian slid slightly to 11.7 trains/d from 11.8 trains/d.
In other production areas, Utica Basin loadings fell to 3.6 trains/d from 5.1 trains/d, while loadings from the outside the primary basins decreased to 2.8 trains/d from 3.5 trains/d.
