Chart 3. Over-the-month percent change in number of coal carloads, January 2016–December 2020
Month Over-the-month percent change 2016 annual average 2017 annual average 2018 annual average 2019 annual average 2020 annual average

Jan 2016

-7.5 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Feb 2016

-0.7 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Mar 2016

-10.3 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Apr 2016

-9.1 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

May 2016

6.3 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Jun 2016

15.2 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Jul 2016

10.7 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Aug 2016

8.7 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Sep 2016

-0.8 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Oct 2016

1.3 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Nov 2016

0.3 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Dec 2016

-9.3 0.4 [1] [1] [1] [1]

Jan 2017

2.7 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Feb 2017

5.9 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Mar 2017

-10.5 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Apr 2017

-3.3 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

May 2017

1.3 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Jun 2017

10.5 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Jul 2017

-0.7 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Aug 2017

10.7 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Sep 2017

-7.1 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Oct 2017

-2.9 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Nov 2017

0.2 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Dec 2017

-4.3 [1] 0.2 [1] [1] [1]

Jan 2018

-1.8 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Feb 2018

6.3 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Mar 2018

-1.3 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Apr 2018

-6.9 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

May 2018

0.8 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Jun 2018

5.6 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Jul 2018

-0.5 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Aug 2018

10.0 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Sep 2018

-5.4 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Oct 2018

0.4 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Nov 2018

-2.6 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Dec 2018

0.4 [1] [1] 0.4 [1] [1]

Jan 2019

-5.4 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Feb 2019

-0.6 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Mar 2019

-14.5 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Apr 2019

17.2 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

May 2019

-1.4 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Jun 2019

-3.5 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Jul 2019

0.2 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Aug 2019

7.6 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Sep 2019

-3.8 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Oct 2019

-6.6 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Nov 2019

-1.9 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Dec 2019

-4.8 [1] [1] [1] -1.5 [1]

Jan 2020

0.5 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Feb 2020

-9.0 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Mar 2020

-8.9 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Apr 2020

-12.7 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

May 2020

-8.2 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Jun 2020

9.1 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Jul 2020

8.5 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Aug 2020

12.0 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Sep 2020

-2.4 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Oct 2020

-0.5 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Nov 2020

1.6 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

Dec 2020

-2.0 [1] [1] [1] [1] -1.0

[1] Not applicable.

Note: Over-the-month percent changes were calculated by comparing the weekly average number of coal carloads from one month to the next. March and April 2019 data probably reflect the impacts of historic flooding in the Midwest.

Source: Association of American Railroads.