The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has announced that freight train fuel efficiency in North America has more than doubled since 1980, averaging 480 ton-miles per gallon – an increase of 104%.  That’s the equivalent of a four wheeler going from 30mpg to 61.4mpg!

AAR states that in 2009, American railroads generated 67% more ton miles than in 1980 while using 18% less fossil fuels to do so.  That’s a big jump.  Imagine if your 80,000 pound tractor-trailer went from 44,000 pounds of freight at 7mpg to 73,480 pounds of freight at 8.26mpg.  That’s what the railroads have done in the past thirty years.

Most of the rail improvements come from improved electronics and real-time “coaching” feedback to engineers driving the trains as well as newer, more fuel-efficient locomotives, overhaul of older units, etc.  Future increases will come from new technologies in hybrid locomotives, alternative fuels (to diesel), and the ability to carry longer strings of heavier cars than in the past.

A current locomotive is capable of carrying the freight of about 280 80,000GVW trucks.  Definitely impressive and it shows that rail freight still has a strong place in our nation’s freight-moving economy.

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