US coal train loadings slipped 1.7% week on week on a decline in shipments from the Powder River Basin in the most recent reporting period.
Data filed by the four major US railroads -- CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern -- for the week that ended February 23 show US coal loadings averaged 99.6 trains/day, down from 101.3 trains/day in the previous week.
PRB loadings fell 6.1% to 55.8 trains/day from 59.4 trains/day in the previous week.
Central Appalachian totals increased for the third straight week, growing to 17.6 trains/day from 16.6 trains/day.
Elsewhere in the east, Illinois Basin loadings slid to 7.9 trains/day from 8.4 trains/day, while Northern Appalachian loadings declined for a third straight week to 10 trains/day from 10.3 trains/day.
In other production areas, Utica Basin loadings rose to 4.6 trains/day from 3.6 trains/day, while loadings outside of the primary basins grew to 3.7 trains/day from 3.1 trains/day.
