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Table 4-25: Energy Intensity of Class I Railroada Freight Service

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-25: Energy Intensity of Class I Railroada Freight Service

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003
Revenue freight ton-miles (millions) 572,309 697,878 764,809 754,252 918,958 876,984 1,033,969 1,305,688 1,465,960 1,495,472 1,507,011 1,551,438
Car-miles (millions) 28,170 29,336 29,890 27,656 29,277 24,920 26,159 30,383 34,590 34,243 34,680 35,555
Tons per car load 44 49 55 61 67 68 67 65 63 64 63 62
Fuel consumed (million gallons) 3,463 3,592 3,545 3,657 3,904 3,110 3,115 3,480 3,700 3,710 3,730 3,826
Energy intensity (Btu/revenue freight ton-mile) 839 714 643 672 589 492 418 370 350 344 343 342
Energy intensity (Btu/car-mile) 17,051 16,983 16,450 18,341 18,495 17,310 16,516 15,886 14,836 15,027 14,918 14,925

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit.

a Class I railroads are those that have operating revenues of $277.7 million or more in 2003.

NOTE

The heat equivalent factor used for Btu conversion is 138,700 Btu/gallon.

SOURCE

Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2004 (Washington, DC: 2004), pp. 34, 37, and 40, and similar tables in earlier editions.