Coal shipment delays of more than five days decreased by 60.7% week on week for the four major US railroads, reports filed with the Surface Transportation Board show.
Data in EP 724 filings released Wednesday for the week ending October 23 show combined coal delays of more than five days for CSX, Norfolk Southern, BNSF and Union Pacific fell by 1,511 carloads compared with the previous week.
In the East, where railroad delays are more prevalent, coal delays of more than five days for CSX and NS fell by 1,229 carloads, or 58.6%, to 977 carloads. The same delays in the West for BNSF and UP were down by 282 carloads, or 72.3%, to 108 carloads.
Coal delays of two to five days were down in the West but still elevated for UP after such delays on the railroad last week increased to levels last seen in late January.
UP reported coal shipping delays of two to five days were down 1,154 carloads, or 47.3% from the prior week. Delays of two to five days averaged 414 carloads over the previous 12 weeks prior to last week's spike to 2,438 carloads.
In the East, coal delays of two to five days were up 33.5% week on week for CSX to 2,910 carloads and up 16.6% for NS to 2,094 carloads.
