Table 2-5-6 - Rail Freight Average Speeds, Revenue Ton-Miles, and Terminal Dwell Times: 3rd quarter 1999-4th quarter 2008
Table 2-5-6 - Rail Freight Average Speeds, Revenue Ton-Miles, and Terminal Dwell Times: 3rd quarter 1999-4th quarter 2008
Line-haul speed is a shipper-related indicator of the performance of the railroad industry. The average speed is the over-the-rail train speed and does not include terminal dwell time, time for local pickup and delivery, and the time shipments spend in storage yards.
| Quarter | Average line-haul speed (mph) | Revenue ton-miles (billions) |
Average terminal dwell time (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Q3 | 23.0 | 364.0 | U |
| 1999 Q4 | 23.2 | 372.8 | U |
| 2000 Q1 | 24.2 | 364.1 | U |
| 2000 Q2 | 23.9 | 359.7 | U |
| 2000 Q3 | 23.7 | 376.0 | U |
| 2000 Q4 | 23.9 | 361.3 | U |
| 2001 Q1 | 24.4 | 370.4 | U |
| 2001 Q2 | 23.9 | 364.6 | U |
| 2001 Q3 | 24.3 | 367.7 | U |
| 2001 Q4 | 24.8 | 371.3 | U |
| 2002 Q1 | 25.4 | 364.9 | U |
| 2002 Q2 | 25.5 | 369.1 | U |
| 2002 Q3 | 24.9 | 371.9 | U |
| 2002 Q4 | 25.1 | 376.7 | U |
| 2003 Q1 | 24.7 | 368.4 | U |
| 2003 Q2 | 24.2 | 379.2 | U |
| 2003 Q3 | 23.7 | 387.6 | U |
| 2003 Q4 | 23.6 | 381.8 | U |
| 2004 Q1 | 23.2 | 395.6 | U |
| 2004 Q2 | 22.3 | 409.8 | 27.0 |
| 2004 Q3 | 22.4 | 417.3 | 26.4 |
| 2004 Q4 | 22.1 | 429.3 | 27.3 |
| 2005 Q1 | 21.7 | 416.7 | 27.5 |
| 2005 Q2 | 21.6 | 417.8 | 26.3 |
| 2005 Q3 | 21.7 | 421.0 | 25.9 |
| 2005 Q4 | 20.8 | 420.6 | 27.2 |
| 2006 Q1 | 21.4 | 429.8 | 25.9 |
| 2006 Q2 | 21.4 | 442.7 | 24.6 |
| 2006 Q3 | 21.7 | 443.6 | 23.9 |
| 2006 Q4 | 22.1 | 467.2 | 24.0 |
| 2007 Q1 | 21.8 | 421.8 | 24.3 |
| 2007 Q2 | 21.6 | 432.0 | 23.1 |
| 2007 Q3 | 22.0 | 444.3 | 23.4 |
| 2007 Q4 | 22.5 | 446.0 | 23.8 |
| 2008 Q1 | 22.4 | 442.5 | 24.0 |
| 2008 Q2 | 22.2 | 443.0 | 23.2 |
| 2008 Q3 | 22.7 | 450.6 | 23.2 |
| 2008 Q4 | 23.9 | 420.5 | 23.6 |
KEY: U = Data are unavailable.
NOTES: Average line-haul speed data are preliminary for 2005 Q1 through 2008 Q4. Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) data are excluded from average line-haul speed and average terminal dwell time, but not from revenue ton-miles.
SOURCES: Average line-haul speed and terminal dwell time: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, calculations using data reported by Class I railroads to the Association of American Railroads for posting at http://www.railroadpm.org/, and Surface Transportation Board (STB), Statistics of Class I Railroads in the United States, table 8, available at http://www.stb.dot.gov/ as of November 2009; Revenue ton-miles: STB, Quarterly Selected Earnings Report, available at http://www.stb.dot.gov/ as of November 2009.