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Table 4-26: Energy Intensity of Amtrak Services

Friday, October 21, 2016

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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 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Revenue passenger-miles (millions)a (R) 3,753 4,503 4,785 6,057 6,273 6,091 6,199 (R) 5,869 (R) 5,401 (R) 5,066 5,166 5,304 5,330 5,498 5,571 5,314 5,680 5,511 5,381 5,410 5,783 6,179 5,914 6,420 6,568 6,804 6,810 6,675 6,536
Total energy consumed (billion Btu)b 9,367 9,673 9,995 12,512 12,406 12,328 12,511 11,251 11,184 11,117 11,823 11,962 12,494 14,776 14,987 13,479 12,182 11,394 10,895 10,536 10,547 10,783 10,486 10,710 10,696 10,620 10,951 10,872 10,384
Electric (millions of kWh)b,c 180 254 295 330 303 300 301 309 336 363 390 416 443 470 456 518 537 551 531 549 578 582 565 559 555 549 525 515 504
Diesel (million gallons)c 63 64 65 82 82 82 83 74 72 71 76 76 79 95 97 84 75 69 65 62 62 63 62 63 63 63 66 66 62
Energy intensity (Btu/revenue passenger-mile)a (R) 2,496 2,148 2,089 2,066 1,978 2,024 2,018 (R) 1,917 (R) 2,071 (R) 2,194 2,289 2,255 2,344 2,688 2,690 2,537 2,145 2,068 2,025 1,948 1,824 1,745 1,773 1,668 1,628 1,561 1,608 1,629 1,589

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; kWh = kilowatt hour.

a Revenue passenger-miles data prior to 2001 are fiscal year data; 2001 data and more recent data are calendar year data.

b 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.

c Electric usage and diesel usage data are calendar year data.

NOTE

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

SOURCES

Revenue passenger-miles:

1975-2000: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual Issues).

2001-15: Amtrak, personal communications, Jan. 7, 2010, Jul. 26, 2011, Apr. 24, 2012, June 9, 2014 and June 23, 2016.

Locomotive fuel consumed:

1975-2001: Amtrak., State and Local Affairs Department, personal communication.

2001-15: Amtrak, personal communications, Jan. 7, 2010, Jul. 26, 2011, Apr. 24, 2012, June 9, 2014 and June 23, 2016.