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

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Revenue freight ton-miles (millions)	572,309	697,878	764,809	754,252	918,958	876,984	1,033,969	1,038,875	1,066,781	1,109,309	1,200,701	1,305,688	1,355,975	1,348,926	1,376,802	1,433,461	1,465,960	1,495,472	1,507,011	1,551,438	1,662,598	1,696,425	1,771,897	1,770,545	1,777,236	1,532,214
Car-miles (millions)	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	38,186	37,226	32,115
Tons per car load	44.4	48.9	54.9	60.8	67.1	67.7	66.6	66.2	66.0	64.4	63.4	65.3	66.6	63.4	64.1	63.4	62.6	64.0	63.3	62.3	61.3	61.0	60.9	61.7	63.1	64.2
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	4,062	3,886	3,192
Energy intensity (Btu/revenue freight ton-mile)	839	714	643	672	589	492	418	388	391	386	385	370	366	368	361	359	350	344	343	342	339	335	328	318	303	289
Energy intensity (Btu/car-mile)	17,051	16,983	16,450	18,341	18,495	17,310	16,516	15,727	15,952	15,932	16,234	15,886	15,652	15,662	15,218	15,222	14,836	15,027	14,918	14,925	15,187	15,072	14,926	14,754	14,479	13,786

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit.

^a The threshold for classification as a Class I Railroads is based on operating revenues; the 2009 threshold is $389.8 million.

NOTE

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

SOURCE

Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2010 (Washington, DC: 2010), pp. 34, 37, and 40, and similar tables in earlier editions.

USA Banner