US coal carloads fall to 60,927 in week 36, still up YTD

The Association of American Railroads has reported that US coal carloads have seen a fall to 60,927, representing a total drop of around 2,4%. Railroads remain a crucial transportation method for the coal industry in the United States. Following the news that the Trump administration will be implementing measures to increase coal production all around the United States, the drop has been an unexpected speed bump on the way to the coal sector becoming the dominant energy source in America. With the Trump administration’s new policies, the United States is aiming to become more energy independent.

The railroad network has been crucial to America’s success throughout history

Once the United States understood the tremendous potential that railroads presented in the mid-1800s, the railroad network expanded into regions of America that were never reachable before. That opened up more of the United States to more trade across the wide expanses of the region. And the result was a massive economic boom all around the country.

New towns popped up, and integral locations that were crucial to the railroad network became huge sprawling cities that enabled more jobs and more trade. Since then, the world has relied on the railroad to transport vital goods and minerals to meet our needs. Despite the apparent transition to more environmentally friendly forms of power, coal remains a steadfast part of the American identity to this day.

“When you’re walking or riding a horse, you experience the world one way, but when you’re sitting in a railroad car, you see it differently. In the West, where the distances are so great, the railroad brought near and far closer together.” – naturalist John Muir in 1872

Total numbers are down across the board in the United States

The Association of American Railroads has reported some worrying numbers that could prove to be an issue in the not-too-distant future. The AAR reported that total U.S. rail traffic was 467,880 carloads in week 36, which is a significant drop from the same period last year. Carloads of coal dropped to 60,927, and only 3 of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending Sept. 6, 2025, which is significantly less than the same period in 2024.

One might imagine that the drop is not limited to coal, but you would be wrong in that assumption. Here is a detailed outline of the percentages for each sector in the railroad transport industry during week 36:

• Miscellaneous carloads, up 1,132 carloads, to 8,512
• Motor vehicles and parts, up 973 carloads to 14,633
• Forest products, up 286 carloads to 7,801
• Chemicals, down 2,875 carloads to 29,802
• Coal, down 2,824 carloads to 60,927
• grain, down 1,570 carloads to 18,067

With the recent ship explosion in Baltimore, more emphasis needs to be put on the railroad sector, playing a more crucial role in the coal sector. Railroads have existed for well over a hundred years, and, to this day, are incredibly reliable and can deliver the coal needed for our ever-growing appetites for electricity. Will Trump’s Executive Orders pay dividends and give a boost to the coal industry as a whole?

America’s energy sector is shifting towards a new era thanks to Donald Trump’s policies

When Donald Trump ran for President the second time, one of his main campaign promises was to deliver more jobs and revitalize America’s energy sector. He claimed that for far too long the United States has relied on other countries to supply it with the power needed for its citizens, and that his administration would implement measures to bring the energy sector in the United States back from the brink of collapse. He has unequivocally removed the red tape, as it were, and allowed for more energy production across several sectors.