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

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-17: 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 2005 2006
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 22,779 23,732
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 1,312,245 1,346,507
Miles traveled (millions)                                              
Freight train-milesc 404 421 427 403 428 347 380 375 390 405 441 458 469 475 475 490 504 500 500 516 535 548 563
Locomotive unit-miles N N N 1,479 1,531 1,228 1,280 1,238 1,278 1,320 1,405 1,445 1,465 1,423 1,440 1,504 1,503 1,478 1,444 (R) 1,484 1,538 (R) 1,588 1,660
Car-miles 28,170 29,336 29,890 27,656 29,277 24,920 26,159 25,628 26,128 26,883 28,485 30,383 31,715 31,660 32,657 33,851 34,590 34,243 34,680 35,555 37,071 37,712 38,955
Average miles traveled per vehicle (thousands)                                              
Locomotives N N N 53.1 54.5 54.5 68.0 67.5 71.0 72.7 75.9 76.8 76.0 72.3 71.1 74.2 75.0 74.8 70.4 71.4 69.9 (R) 69.7 69.9
Cars 14.3 16.3 16.8 16.0 17.1 17.5 21.6 21.5 22.3 22.9 23.9 24.9 25.6 24.9 24.8 24.7 25.1 26.1 26.7 27.8 28.8 28.7 28.9
Average miles traveled per gallon                                              
Trains 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13
Cars 8.13 8.17 8.43 7.56 7.50 8.01 8.40 8.82 8.69 8.71 8.54 8.73 8.86 8.86 9.11 9.11 9.35 9.23 9.30 9.29 9.13 9.20 9.29
Fuel consumed (million gallons) 3,463 3,592 3,545 3,657 3,904 3,110 3,115 2,906 3,005 3,088 3,334 3,480 3,579 3,575 3,583 3,715 3,700 3,710 3,730 3,826 4,059 4,098 4,192
Average fuel consumed per locomotivea (thousand gallons) 119.3 129.3 130.9 131.3 139.0 137.9 165.4 158.4 166.9 170.0 180.2 185.0 185.7 181.6 176.8 183.4 184.7 187.9 181.9 184.2 184.4 179.9 176.6

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-miles.

SOURCES

All data except for locomotive unit-miles:

Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2007 (Washington, DC: 2007), pp. 33, 34, 40, 49, and 51, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Locomotive unit-miles:

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).

2005: Association of American Railroads, personal communication, June 13, 2007.

2006: Association of American Railroads, personal communication, Apr. 24, 2008.