By Olivia Kalb

November 13, 2018 - U.S. coal carload originations totaled 88,399 for the week that ended Saturday, according to data the American Association of Railroads released Wednesday.

Carloads rose 1.6% from the year-ago week and 0.5% from the last full week of October. In addition, carloads dropped 11.5% from the five-year average of 99,890 originations.

Canadian carloads reached their 2018 high for the 44 weeks of the year with 9,290 carloads. From the prior week, originations were up 31.6% and, from the corresponding year-ago week, carloads rose 16%.

U.S. and Canadian carloads combined totaled 97,689, up 6.7% from the year-ago week.

While in the 44-week period, Canadian coal carloads rose 2.8% from the same point in 2017, while North American carloads dipped 0.4%.

Carloads from the four major Class 1 railroads totaled 97,774, up 3.7% from the year-ago total of 94,291 given increases in originations from three of four railroads.

Union Pacific was the only railroad to fall, experiencing its largest drop, 9.6%, in carloads year on year since the last week of June ended 17.7% lower.

However, UP also ticked up 0.5% from the prior week.

In the 44-week period, total carloads, excluding CSX, continue to fall below 2017 levels, leaving total carloads to be down 1.8% from the same point a year ago.

Norfolk Southern had the largest increases week on week and year on year with 19,663 originations.

Carloads from the railroad rose 8.6% from the prior week and 10.8% from 2017.

BNSF had the second-largest increase, up 1.1% from the week that ended October 27 and up 10.2% from the year-ago week.

BNSF carloads rose from the prior week and the matching 2017 week for the second week in a row. Although the railroad has risen for both data points 11 of 44 weeks, this was the first time they both continued to rise after one week.

CSX also experienced increases for both points, up 0.1% from the prior week and up 1.7% from the year-ago week, with 17,091 carloads total.