The July 4 holiday week did not slow the increase of coal trains coming out of the Powder River Basin, but the Northern Appalachian coal fields saw a sizable slowdown on the rails, railroad reports showed Friday.
Data filed by the four major US railroads -- CSX, Union Pacific, BSNF and Norfolk Southern -- with the Surface Transportation Board for the week ending July 8 showed PRB coal loadings increased for the sixth straight week to a year-high 57.2 trains/d from 56.4 the previous week.
PRB loadings have averaged 46.1 trains/d through the first 27 weeks of the year compared to 68.8 in the year-ago period.
Despite an increase in the West, total US loadings fell to 85.2 trains/d from a year-high 92.7 the previous week.
Nationwide coal loadings average 82.4 trains/d year to date compared to 119.4 trains/d in the year-ago period.
NAPP saw the biggest drop in rail volumes, with loadings falling to a year-low 2.1 trains/d from 8.7 the previous week. Central Appalachian loads slipped to 11.4 trains/d from 12.5.
Illinois Basin coal loadings were flat on week at 8.8 trains/d.
Utica Basin coal train loadings fell slightly to 4 trains/d from 4.1.
Loadings from outside the primary basins dipped to 1.7 trains/d from 2.1.
