Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 4-17M. Class I Rail Freight Fuel Consumption and Travel

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Number in use                              
Locomotivesa 29,031 27,780 27,077 27,846 28,094 22,548 18,835 18,344 18,004 18,161 18,505 18,812 19,269 19,684 20,261
Carsb 1,965,486 1,800,962 1,784,181 1,723,605 1,710,827 1,421,686 1,212,261 1,189,660 1,173,136 1,173,132 1,192,412 1,218,927 1,240,573 1,270,419 1,315,667
Kilometers traveled (millions)                              
Freight train-kiliometersc 650 677 687 648 689 559 611 604 628 652 710 738 754 764 764
Locomotive unit-kilometers N N N 2,380 2,464 1,976 2,060 1,992 2,057 2,124 2,261 2,326 2,358 2,290 2,317
Car-kilometers 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
Average kilometers traveled per vehicle (thousands)                              
Locomotives N N N 85.5 87.7 87.6 109.4 108.6 114.2 117.0 122.2 123.6 122.4 116.3 114.4
Cars 23.1 26.2 27.0 25.8 27.5 28.2 34.7 34.7 35.8 36.9 38.4 40.1 41.1 40.1 39.9
Average kilometers traveled per liter                              
Trains 0.05 0.05 0.19 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06
Cars 3.46 3.47 13.57 3.22 3.19 3.41 3.57 3.75 3.70 3.70 3.63 3.71 3.77 3.77 3.87
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
Average fuel consumed per locomotivea (thousand liters) 451.5 489.5 495.6 497.1 526.0 522.1 626.0 599.7 631.8 643.7 682.0 700.3 703.1 687.5 669.4

a For 1960-80, locomotives total includes a small number of steam and electric units, which are not included in the per locomotive fuel consumption figure.   b Includes cars owned by Class I railroads, other railroads, and car companies and shippers.  
c Based on the distance run between terminals and/or stations; does not include yard or passenger train-miles.  

KEY: N = data do not exist. 

SOURCES: 
All data except for locomotive unit-miles: 
Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: October 1999), pp. 33, 34, 40, 48, 50.  
Locomotive unit-miles: 
1975-92: Ibid., Railroad Ten-Year Trends (Washington,DC: Annual issues). 
1993-98: Ibid., Analysis of Class I Railroads (Washington, DC: Annual issues), pg. 29. 



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