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

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Revenue freight tonne-kilometers (millions) R835,557 R1,018,884 R1,116,602 R1,101,189 R1,341,656 R1,280,375 R1,509,569 1,516,732 1,557,474 1,619,563 1,752,993 R1,906,272 R1,979,690 R1,969,398 2,010,096
Car-kilometers (millions) 45,335 47,212 48,103 44,508 47,117 40,105 42,099 41,244 42,049 43,264 45,842 48,897 51,040 50,952 52,556
Tonnes per car load 40 44 50 55 61 61 60 60 60 58 58 59 60 57 58
Fuel consumed (million liters) 13,109 13,597 13,419 13,843 14,778 11,773 11,792 11,000 11,375 11,689 12,621 13,173 13,548 13,533 13,563
Energy intensiveness (1000 Joules/revenue freight tonne-kilometer) R607 516 465 486 426 355 302 280 282 279 278 267 265 266 261
Energy intensiveness (1000 Joules/car-kilometer) 11,178 11,134 R10,785 12,024 12,125 11,348 10,828 10,311 10,458 10,445 10,643 10,415 10,261 10,268 9,977

a Class I railroads are those that have operating revenues of $255 million or more. 

KEY: R = revised.

NOTE: The heat equivalent factor used for joules conversion is 38,675,950 joules/liter.

SOURCE: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: October 1999), pp. 34, 37, and 40.