(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on July 7, 2010.)
Last month, Union Pacific Railroad loaded 921 trains in the Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) compared with 881 trains in June 2009. The Class I averaged 30.7 trains per day in June vs. 28.9 trains in May and met 98.1 percent of National Coal Transportation Association (NCTA) demand, according to UP’s weekly coal loading performance report.
In June, the railroad registered 105 missed SPRB loading opportunities, 63 of which were attributable to utility plants, 26 to UP and 16 to mines. Overall, 13 were associated with flooding or severe weather. However, missed loading opportunities were partially offset with 96 extra loadings, according to the report.
In the Colorado/Utah region last month, UP loaded 211 coal trains vs. 213 in June 2009 and 191 in May. The Class I met 99.1 percent of NCTA demand in the region, the report states.