Orlando, Florida (Platts)--8May2014/528 pm EDT/2128 GMT

Weekly US coal carloads for the week ending May 3 continue to improve, notching their eight consecutive week of year-over-year growth, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday.

Coal carloads totaled 112,361, down 0.8% from the prior week but up 2.6% from the same week last year, according to the AAR's weekly rail traffic report.

The increase comes as utilities work to rebuild low coal stockpiles in many parts of the country, despite the fact that US coal production is estimated to have dipped during the week.

For the year, US coal carloads total nearly 2 million, up 1.3% compared with the year-ago period, although down 4.6% compared with 2012.

The Canadian railroads, including the US operations of Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, originated 9,299 coal carloads during the week, down 8.6% from the prior week and down 2.2% from the year-ago week, according to the AAR.

For the year, Canadian coal originations total 160,632 carloads, down 3.9% from last year.

US coal production during the week ending May 3 totaled 19 million st, according to estimates released Thursday by the US Energy Information Administration. The estimate is 1.3% lower than the prior week, and 0.6% higher than the year-ago week.

For the week, the four largest US railroads reported handling (which includes originations and interchange) the following weekly coal and coke carloads:

BNSF reported 42,646 weekly coal carloads, down 5.3% from the prior week but up 6.4% from the year-ago week. For the year, the railroad's coal carloads total 785,186, up 5.8% compared with 2013.

Union Pacific reported 30,590 weekly coal carloads, up 2.1% from the prior week and up 0.9% from last year. Year-to-date coal carloads total 583,581, up 6.5% from last year.

CSX reported 23,476 weekly coal carloads, down 1.6% from the prior week but up 4.4% from last year. For the year, coal carloads total 395,700, up 2.9%.

Norfolk Southern reported 26,953 weekly coal carloads, up 2.5% from the prior week and up 3.6% from 2013. For the year, coal carloads total 421,223, down 9.4% from last year.

Weekly US carload originations of coke, which includes petroleum coke and coke from coal, totaled 4,237 for the week ending May 3, up 8.3% from last year, according to the AAR. Year-to-date coke carloads total 66,157, up 0.9% from last year.

BNSF reported 587 coke carloads during the week, up 6.3% from last year. Year-to-date coke carloads total 9,414, down 10.5% from last year.

Union Pacific reported 506 weekly coke carloads, down 8% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 8,606, up 4% from last year.

CSX reported 1,234 weekly coke carloads, down 11.1% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 19,819, down 19.4%.

Norfolk Southern reported 1,209 weekly coke carloads, up 38.6% from the year-ago week. For the year, coke carloads total 19,887, up 20%.

--Andrew Moore, andrew.moore@platts.com
--Edited by Richard Rubin, richard.rubin@platts.com

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