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Table 4-26: Energy Intensity of Amtrak Services

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-26: Energy Intensity of Amtrak Services

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  1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Revenue passenger-miles (millions) 3,931 4,503 4,785 6,057 6,273 6,091 6,199 5,921 5,545 5,050 5,166 5,304 5,330 5,498 5,559 5,468 5,680 5,511 5,381 5,410 5,784
Locomotive fuel consumed                                          
Total fuel consumed (billion Btu)a 9,367 9,673 9,995 12,512 12,406 12,328 12,511 (R) 11,251 (R) 11,184 (R) 11,117 (R) 11,823 (R) 11,962 (R) 12,494 (R) 14,776 (R) 14,987 13,543 12,229 11,329 10,954 10,635 8,575
Electric (millions of kWh)a 180 254 295 330 303 300 301 (R) 309 (R) 336 (R) 363 (R) 390 (R) 416 (R) 443 (R) 470 (R) 456 (R) 518 (R) 537 (R) 551 (R) 531 549 578
Diesel (million gallons) 63 64 65 82 82 82 83 (R) 74 (R) 72 71 (R) 76 (R) 76 (R) 79 (R) 95 (R) 97 (R) 84 (R) 75 (R) 69 (R) 65 62 62
Energy intensity (Btu/revenue passenger-mile)a 2,383 2,148 2,089 2,066 1,978 2,024 2,018 (R) 1,900 (R) 2,017 (R) 2,201 (R) 2,289 (R) 2,255 (R) 2,344 (R) 2,688 (R) 2,696 (R) 2,477 (R) 2,153 (R) 2,056 (R) 2,036 1,966 1,482

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; kWh = kilowatt hour; U = data are not available.

a Does not include electric power generation and distribution losses, which, if included, would triple the electric conversion factor given below and increase the numbers in this row by about 20 percent.

NOTE
The heat equivalent factors used in Btu conversion are: diesel = 138,700 Btu/gallon; electric = 3,412 Btu/kWh.

SOURCES
Revenue passenger-miles:
1975-2002: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
2003-2007: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2006 (Washington, DC: 2006), p. 77 and similar pages in earlier editions.
Locomotive fuel consumed:
1975-2001: Ibid., State and Local Affairs Department, personal communication.
2001-07: Amtrak personal communication as of Dec. 19, 2007 and June 10, 2009.