(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on December 11.)
Last month, BNSF Railway Co. loaded 15.3 million tons of coal on the joint line in the Powder River Basin (PRB), setting a new monthly record. The previous high-water mark of 15.2 million tons was set in September 2008.
Overall, BNSF loaded 23.8 million tons of coal in the PRB, matching November 2007’s tonnage.
Daily PRB loadings in November averaged 54.6 trains vs. 54 trains in November 2007. The Class I averaged a record 34.6 train loadings per day on the Joint Line it shares with Union Pacific Railroad.
Through 2008’s first 11 months, BNSF loaded 251.9 million tons of coal in the PRB, up 2.4 percent compared with the total from the same 2007 period. Daily PRB loadings averaged 51.5 trains, representing a 2.6 percent year-over-year rise.