US rail coal carloads fell to 78,790 in the week ended April 28, down 2% from 80,608 a week earlier, but up 4.2% from 75,662 a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday.
The latest week was the second straight week to track higher than the corresponding weeks of 2016 and 2017. However, the weekly carloads were down 12.5% from the five-year average of 90,203.
Coal carloads represented 14.3% of the total traffic on US railways, down from 14.9% a week earlier but flat from a year ago.
Coal originations on Canadian railroads -- including the US operations of Canadian National, which serves several mines in the Illinois Basin -- climbed 3.4% week on week to 8,503, which was also 9.9% higher from the year-ago week.
Of the four major Class I railroads, Norfolk Southern and CSX both saw 2018 highs, while Union Pacific was at a 2018 low.
CSX coal carloads were at 16,949 in the latest week, up 9% from a week earlier and 15.5% higher on the year. Since January 1, CSX carloads are 257,208, up 3% from a year ago.
Norfolk Southern reported 20,954 carloads, up 2.8% week on week and the highest weekly total since 21,770 in the week ended September 26, 2015. Year-to-date carloads for Norfolk Southern are at 315,077, down 2.9% on the year.
Union Pacific saw 16,772 coal carloads, down 5.1% from a week earlier and the lowest since 14,777 carloads in the week ended May 28, 2016. Since January 1, UP carloads have totaled 352,959, down 4.1% from a year ago.
Coal carloads represented 9.9% of the total UP traffic, which was also the lowest total since 9.4% in the week ended May 28, 2016. Of the four major railroads, UP reported the lowest weekly total for the first time since April 2, 2016.
BNSF carloads fell to 32,113 in the latest week, down 5.5% from a week earlier but still 4.9% higher year on year. Since January 1, BNSF reported 601,868 coal carloads, down 1.9% from the same period a year earlier.
