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Table 4-17M: Class I Rail Freight Fuel Consumption and Travel

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-17M: Class I Rail Freight Fuel Consumption and Travel

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Number in use                                          
Locomotivesa 29,031 27,780 27,077 27,846 28,094 22,548 18,835 18,344 18,004 18,161 18,505 18,812 19,269 19,684 20,261 20,256 20,028 19,745 20,506 20,774 22,015
Carsb 1,965,486 1,800,662 1,784,181 1,723,605 1,710,827 1,421,686 1,212,261 1,189,660 1,173,136 1,173,132 1,192,412 1,218,927 1,240,573 1,270,419 1,315,667 1,368,836 1,380,796 1,314,136 1,299,670 1,278,980 1,287,920
Kilometers traveled (millions)                                          
Freight train-kilometersc 651 677 687 648 690 559 611 603 628 653 710 738 754 764 764 789 811 804 804 830 861
Locomotive unit-kilometers N N N 2,380 2,464 1,976 2,060 1,992 2,057 2,124 2,261 2,326 2,358 2,290 2,317 2,420 2,419 2,378 2,323 2,388 2,476
Car-kilometers 45,335 47,212 48,103 44,508 47,117 40,105 42,099 41,244 42,049 43,264 45,842 48,897 51,040 50,952 52,556 54,478 55,667 55,109 55,812 57,220 59,660
Average kilometers traveled per vehicle (thousands)                                          
Locomotives N N N 85.5 87.7 87.6 109.4 108.6 114.2 117.0 122.2 123.6 122.4 116.3 114.4 119.5 120.8 120.5 113.3 115.0 112.5
Cars 23 26.2 27.0 25.8 27.5 28.2 34.7 34.7 35.8 36.9 38.4 40.1 41.1 40.1 39.9 39.8 40.3 41.9 42.9 44.7 46.3
Average kilometers traveled per liter                                          
Trains 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06
Cars 3.46 3.47 3.58 3.22 3.19 3.41 3.57 3.75 3.70 3.70 3.63 3.71 3.77 3.77 3.87 3.87 3.97 3.92 3.95 3.95 3.88
Fuel consumed (million liters) 13,109 13,597 13,419 13,843 14,778 11,773 11,792 11,000 11,375 11,689 12,621 13,173 13,548 13,533 13,563 14,063 14,006 14,044 14,120 14,483 15,365
Average fuel consumed per locomotivea (thousand liters) 451.5 489.5 495.6 497.1 526.0 522.1 626.0 599.7 631.8 643.7 682.0 700.3 703.1 687.5 669.4 694.3 699.3 711.3 688.6 697.2 697.9

KEY: N = data do not exist

a For 1960-80, the total includes a small number of steam and electric units, which are not included in the per locomotive fuel consumption figure.

b Includes cars owned by Class I railroads, other railroads, car companies, and shippers.

c Based on the distance run between terminals and / or stations; does not include yard or passenger train-kilometers.

NOTES

1.609344 kilometers = 1 mile.

3.785412 liters = 1 gallon.

SOURCES

All data except for locomotive unit-kilometers:

Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2005 (Washington, DC: 2005), pp. 33, 34, 40, 49, and 51, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Locomotive unit-kilometers:

1975-92, 2002: Ibid., Railroad Ten-Year Trends (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

1993-2001, 2003-04: Ibid., Analysis of Class I Railroads (Washington, DC: Annual issues)