Fuel Efficiency
According to the AAR, moving freight by rail is 3 - 4 times more fuel efficient than moving freight on the highway. Efficient use of fuel means fewer greenhouse gas emissions for our planet. (Learn more at the Association of American Railroads’ website, http://www.aar.org/.)
Here is the formula for our 2022 fuel efficiency rating: (From the 2022 CSX R-1 Report)
• Schedule 750, Lines 1+3 (Line 4), Diesel Fuel Consumed (freight + switching) = 372,949,599gallons
• Schedule 755, Line 110, Revenue Ton-Miles = 193,771,798,000 RTM
• RTM per gallon = (193,771,798,000 RTM / 372,949,599gals) = 520RTM/gal
CSX has invested more than $2.8 billion over the last decade to improve its locomotive fuel efficiency and reduce the corresponding emissions.
Calculating Fuel Efficiency
The ton-mile-per-gallon is a unit of measurement used to describe the efficiency of hauling freight by various modes of transportation, which is simply the weight of the freight multiplied by the distance the freight is being transported.
The rail industry tracks and reports revenue ton-miles in the “Annual Report to the Surface Transportation Board” (commonly referred to as the R1 Report). The “Ton-Miles of Freight” annual value is reported in Schedule 755, line 110 of the R1 Report. The rail industry also tracks and reports annual fuel usage in the R1 Report, Schedule 750, line 4. These two reported values are used to determine a system-wide train efficiency value.
The 2022 CSX system-wide train efficiency metric, as shown above, equals approximately 520 ton-miles per gallon.
In other words, CSX trains, on average, can move a ton of freight nearly 520 miles on a gallon of fuel, based on our 2022 revenue ton miles and 2022 fuel use.
The fuel efficiency for a freight truck can be estimated in a similar way. For example, a heavy-duty diesel truck hauling 19 tons of freight a distance of 500 miles would consume approximately 71 gallons of diesel fuel, assuming an average 7 miles per gallon truck fuel economy and a typical truck payload of 19 tons. The efficiency of this freight haul would be calculated as:
(19 tons x 500 miles) / 71 gallons = 134 ton-miles per gallon.
Similarly, a typical train might haul 3,000 tons of freight 500 miles and consume approximately 2,885 gallons of diesel fuel. The efficiency of this freight haul would be calculated as:
(3000 tons x 500 miles) / (2,885 gallons) = 520 ton-miles per gallon.
In this example, the train is approximately 3.9 times more efficient at hauling freight, as shown by the ratio 520 train ton-miles per gallon divided by 134 truck ton-miles per gallon.
FAQs
The 2022 CSX system-wide train efficiency metric, as shown above, equals approximately 520 ton-miles per gallon. In other words, CSX trains, on average, can move a ton of freight nearly 520 miles on a gallon of fuel, based on our 2022 revenue ton miles and 2022 fuel use.
How far can a train go on 1 gallon of fuel? ›
No, it would take a railroad train much more the one gallon to move one ton of freight one mile. However, when a train is fully loaded to it's maximum practical capacity, which is thousand of tons, newer engines can get 700 ton/miles per gallon. 500 ton/miles per gallon is probably about average.
What mpg do freight trains get? ›
Rather, the term is more specific: A freight train can move one ton of weight about 450 miles on a single gallon of gas. To match this mileage, a one-ton car would have to get 450 mpg, and a two-ton vehicle would have to get 225 mpg. To car owners, this seems unbelievable. How can railroads do it?
What are the most fuel efficient locomotives? ›
GE Transportation
GE's Evolution® Series Locomotive is 5 percent more fuel efficient than previous locomotives, saving about 300,000 gallons of fuel over its lifetime.
How efficient is the freight railroad? ›
In fact, freight rail is the most fuel-efficient way to move goods over land and one train can move nearly 500 tons on one gallon of fuel while also removing hundreds of trucks off the highway. Moving freight by rail instead of truck lowers GHG emissions by up to 75%, on average.
How many railroad cars equal a mile? ›
Transit rail modes are measured in car-miles. Car-miles measure individual vehicle-miles in a train. A 10-car train traveling 1 mile would equal 1 train-mile and 10 car-miles.
How long can a freight train go without refueling? ›
In the US most mainline freight locomotives (4300–4400 hp) have 5000 gallon fuel tanks. At full power, Run 8, they consume about 200 gallons per hour. That would mean a run time of around 25 hours without refueling.
What is an average freight train traveling at 55 mph? ›
It takes the average freight train traveling at 55 mph more than a mile—the length of 18 football fields—to stop. The average locomotive weighs about 400,000 pounds (200 tons) and can weigh up to 600,000 pounds.
How much does it cost to fuel a freight train? ›
For a fuel cost of $0.84 per liter of diesel ($3.17 per gallon) (AAR (2012b)), this results in an average running fuel cost of $185 per locomotive-hour. If actual train and operation data are available, energy models or rail simulators may provide more accurate fuel use values for specific conditions.
How big is the fuel tank on a locomotive? ›
A locomotive fuel tank quantity(size) varies with the locomotive and whether it is a diesel or steam locomotive. Small diesel locos can be around 50 gallons for the tank. Large 4000 to 6000 HP mainline freight locos will usually have a 4000 to 5000 gallon fuel tank under the frame between the power trucks.
A typical freight rail locomotive in the US weighs more than 400,000 pounds and is powered by a 12-cylinder diesel engine that delivers over 4,000 hp.
What locomotives does CSX use? ›
CSX locomotives
- EMD SD70ACe.
- EMD GP40.
- EMD F40PH.
- EMD SD70ACe-T4.
Power plant capacity is far greater than any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have a higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration. Electric locomotives are ideal for commuter rail service with frequent stops.
Are freight trains more efficient than trucks? ›
Using rail is the most environmentally friendly way to move freight over land. Railroads are roughly four times more fuel efficient than trucks.
Are freight trains cheaper than trucks? ›
Rail shipping is much more cost-effective than truck shipping for several reasons. Rail is a much more fuel-efficient mode of transportation.
What state has the most freight trains? ›
Rail miles in each U.S. state 2020
As of 2020, Texas was the U.S. state with the largest railroad mileage, reaching over 10,400 miles. It represented around 7.6 percent of the total mileage for the United States.
How far can a single gallon of diesel take a ton of freight by rail? ›
One train can carry as much product as approximately 300 trucks. And if you are looking at it from a fuel cost perspective, you can move one ton of freight 480 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel by train, which is about three to four times more fuel efficient than trucks.
How many gallons of fuel does a train car hold? ›
Typical tank capacities start at 10,000 gallons for high density liquids and range up to 30,000 gallons for liquids having densities of around 6.5 pounds per gallon - lighter than water. Many tank cars have a downbuckle, or bend, in the center to help the fluid funnel downward for bottom unloading.
What is the range of a diesel train? ›
It could operate for long periods with no lost time for maintenance; thus, in North America the diesel could operate through on a run of 3,200 km (2,000 miles) or more and then, after servicing, start the return trip. Steam locomotives required extensive servicing after only a few hours' operation. 2.
How many gallons per hour does a train use? ›
Idling switchers use between 3 and Il gallons of fuel per hour depending on the ambient temperature. If a switcher idles 12 hours a day in warm weather and burns 3 gallons of fuel per hour, it would consume 36 gallons of fuel per day.
