Coal Tonnage Nomination Process Enhancements for 2024

Announcement Number: BU2024-1
Categories: Coal
Posted Date: January 23, 2024

To Our Coal Customers,

As a reminder, our team is implementing the following coal tonnage nomination process modifications for 2024 to better serve you.

What is Changing

  • Today, utilities input their monthly coal nominations by the second to last day of the prior month. Mines then match on the last day of the prior month.
  • Beginning in 2024, utility monthly coal nominations will be due on the 25th of the prior month.
  • The mine match deadline will remain the last working day of the prior month.

When Changes Are Effective

Why the Process is Changing

  • Moving the deadline a few days earlier provides more time for collaboration between parties to ensure there is alignment on planning assumptions – sets in service, cycle times, and forecast volumes.
  • Please note, we still ask for at least two weeks’ notice of any set additions or lay-downs, as this provides more lead time for planning purposes.

Anything Else I Should Know?

  • The expectation is demand nominations will be reflective of the planned number of sets in service and cycle performance. (The screenshot of the Shipment Management tool within this notification illustrates how you are able to view this information).
  • The best practice is to input nominations for at least the next two months to allow for additional resource planning and alignment.
  • Please follow the UP 1000 Coal Tariff guidelines for ratable shipments (monthly coal shipments within +/-10% of 1/12 your Annual Volume Estimate).
  • If you have any changes to your 2024 annual nomination, please make them in our Unit Train Customer Interface application (user ID and password required).
  • The Union Pacific Coal desk and your Commercial Energy representatives look forward to supporting you as we move forward with this enhancement.

Additional Support

  • If you haven’t already, please take advantage of Union Pacific's enhanced unit train dashboard rolled out last year. The same reliable functionality is now packaged in a sleeker and more intuitive design for faster, easier transactions. You can access it now with your user ID and password. 
  • Also be sure to sign up for Union Pacific notifications. You can subscribe to receive announcements like this, messages from our Chief Marketing Officer, customer tool updates, unit train alerts and service interruption notifications. You can access our Subscription Center now with your user ID and password. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or other process improvement ideas on how we can better serve you, please let us know. We are excited and ready to continue supporting our coal business through the winter heating season and beyond. Thank you for your business and collaboration!

Coal Nomination Screen Example | MR