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Despite lingering Missouri River flooding, Union Pacific Railroad loaded 1,130 coal trains in the Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) in August — the most since November 2008, according to a weekly coal loading performance report. In August 2010, the Class I loaded 1,054 coal trains in the region. UP also met 94.4 percent of National Coal Transportation Association (NCTA) demand for the month in the SPRB.

In August, the railroad registered 153 missed loading opportunities in the basin, 106 of which were attributable to operational issues associated with the flooding and a prolonged Texas drought, 34 to slow unloading at plans and 13 to mines. Missed loadings were partially offset by 74 extra loadings, according to the report.

“River levels on the Missouri continue to drop along the River Subdivision east of Kansas City, and the Falls City Subdivision north of Kansas City, where we have been moving some trains at reduced speeds with ongoing curfews and slow orders while track repairs are under way,” UP officials said in the report.  “Some coal trains continue to move via detour routes.”

In the Colorado/Utah region last month, UP loaded 253 coal trains — the most since September 2009 — and met 85 percent of NCTA demand, according to the Class I. In August 2010, the railroad loaded 221 coal trains in the region.