The number of coal carloads originated by US railroads for the week ending March 15 totaled 114,142, up 4.7% from the prior week and up 2.5% from the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday.
The weekly total was the highest this year and the highest total since the week ending November 23, 2013.
Although the Washington-based AAR does not comment on weekly carloads, the increase is likely due to better weather across the rail network, which has allowed the railroads to begin working off the backlog of coal deliveries that have accumulated over the winter.
For the year, coal carloads originated on US railroads total 1,192,716, down 1.6% compared with the same period last year, and down 10.4% compared with 2012, the AAR said in its weekly rail traffic report.
Canadian railroads, including the US operations of Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, originated 10,196 coal carloads during the week, up 16.4% from the prior week and up 2.7% from the year-ago week, according to the AAR.
For the year, coal carloads originated by the Canadian railroads total 93,000, down 5% from the same period last year.
US coal production during the week ending March 15 totaled an estimated 19 million st, according to data released Thursday by the US Energy Information Administration. The estimate was up 1.5% from last week and down 0.4% from the year-ago week.
For the week ending March 15, the four largest US railroads reported handling (which includes originations and interchange) the following weekly coal and coke carloads: BNSF Railway reported 44,499 weekly coal carloads, up 3.4% from the prior week and up 11.2% from the year-ago week. For the year, the railroad's coal carloads are up 2.8% compared with 2013.
Union Pacific reported 32,546 weekly coal carloads, down 2.7% from the prior week and up 5.5% from last year. Year-to-date coal carloads total 365,425, up 7.2% from last year.
CSX reported 23,262 weekly coal carloads, up 16.9% from the prior week and up 0.3% from the year-ago week. For the year, coal carloads total 222,652, down 3.8%.
Norfolk Southern reported 25,568 weekly coal carloads, up 14.6% from the prior week and down 4.3% from 2013. For the year, coal carloads total 238,814, down 15.1% from last year.
Weekly US carload originations of coke, which includes petroleum coke and coke from coal, totaled 3,767 for the week ending March 15, down 0.1% from last year, according to the AAR. Year-to-date coke carloads total 39,307, down 3.1% from last year.
BNSF reported 456 coke carloads during the week, down 30.1% from last year. Year-to-date coke carloads total 5,994, up 0.4% from last year.
Union Pacific reported 482 weekly coke carloads, up 12% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 5,146, up 7% from last year.
CSX reported 1,025 weekly coke carloads, down 20.8% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 12,184, down 18.8%.
Norfolk Southern reported 1,331 weekly coke carloads, up 20.3% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 11,513, up 11.3%.
