US coal train loadings fell to a 20-week low in the week ended November 23, likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Surface Transportation Board data showed Friday.
Data filed to the STB by the four major Class I railroads -- CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern -- showed US loadings averaged 93.4 trains/day, down 7.8% from 101.3 trains/day in the prior week and 2.2% lower than the 95.5 trains/day averaged in the year-ago week. It was the lowest since 86 trains/day in the week ended July 13.
Average Powder River Basin loadings increased to 57.6 trains/day in the latest week, up from 57.2 trains/day in the prior week but down from 59.4 trains/day in the year-ago week. It was the only major basin to see a week-on-week increase.
Illinois Basin loadings fell 5.9 trains/day, down from 7.8 trains/day a week earlier and 8.3 trains/day a year ago. It was the fewest loadings averaged in a week since 5.8 in the week ended January 19.
Central Appalachia loadings were at 12.4 trains trains/day, down from 16.7 trains a week ago but up from 12.2 trains averaged in the year-ago week. The 12.4 trains were the lowest since the week ended January 12, when it was 10.6 trains/day.
Loadings in Northern Appalachia fell to 9.7 trains/day, down from 13.1 trains/day a week ago but up from 7.8 trains/day in the year-ago week.
Combined with Northern Appalachia and Central Appalachia, loadings from the two regions were at 22.2 trains/day, down from 29.8 trains in the prior week but up from 20.1 trains/day a year ago. The 22.2 trains averaged were the lowest since 17.9 trains/day in the week ended July 6.
Loadings from outside of the primary basins fell to 7.8 trains/day, from 6.6 trains/day a week earlier and flat from a year ago.
