In its most recent performance report for October the company said it loaded 843 coal trains in the Southern Powder River Basin during the month.

The total was down 5.5% from the September 2012 total of 894 but was a drop of more than 19% from the 1047 trains it loaded in October 2011.

Just three months ago, the rail shipper reported its best monthly SPRB volume since the start of 2012.

Its July total of 952 was a 16% jump from 820 loaded in July of last year.

The news got better in August when the company had a year-to-date high of 974 trains.

However, it was the beginning of the year-on-year downward trend as the total trailed the 1130 trains it reported in August 2011.

Shipments from UP’s other main service area, the Colorado-Utah region, also fell in October but the damage was not as significant.

Loadings totaled 246 during the month, down from 267 a year ago.

Its performance was also up from 229 loadings in September 2012.

At the same time as it released its October performance figures, UP revealed plans for a $US7.5 million project that will upgrade line between the Colorado/Kansas border and Deer Trail, Colorado.

The project, which involves rail replacements in areas along the main line, surface renewals at 22 crossings and the replacement of five switches along the line, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The announcement came just six days after a November 1 confirmation the railroader would spend $5.4 million to upgrade a line between North Lake and Northbrook, Illinois, by the end of the year.

That effort includes the replacement of 32,600 ties, surface renewals at 18 grade crossings and the spread of 15,000 tons of ballast.

UP’s operation area encompasses 23 states in the western two-thirds of the US.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe and UP are the two largest shippers for the western coalfields.