Half that drop is solely from the reduction in coal carrying by rail in the last ten years. 1/3 of the entire coal industry in the US no longer exists vs 2006. Its biggest companies have gone or are going bankrupt. Production of coal has gone from a high of near 1.2 billion tons between 2007-2008 to maybe 800-825 million for 2016.
If you follow railroad companies or railcar builders, you know how big of an impact the drop in coal has caused.
If you follow railroad companies or railcar builders, you know how big of an impact the drop in coal has caused.