What is more fuel-efficient than a hybrid vehicle? Freight train! Freight railroads have decreased fuel consumption by 48 million gallons and carbon dioxide emissions to 538 million tons since 1980. Last year, freight railroads proved to be more efficient than ever in terms of fuel consumption.
Freight railroads in the U.S. made an average of 436 mile per gallon of gasoline in 2007, an 85.5 percent improvement on 1980.
The fuel efficiency of railroads is four times higher than that of trucks. A mere 10% reduction in freight moving by truck would save the country one billion gallons per year. Rail transportation is becoming more efficient thanks to new technology. Railroads as well as suppliers are creating hybrid and fuel-cell locomotives to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Transporting freight by rail reduces congestion on the highways. One train can carry 280 trucks off of the highways. It is equivalent to taking 1,100 automobiles off of the roads, as the truck’s average size is nearly four times that of an automobile.
The Department of Transportation predicts that freight transport demand will rise by nearly 92% between 2002 and 2035. As freight railroads become more efficient and eco-friendly, they will play a greater role in helping the country meet growing freight shipment demands. For more information, please visit www.aar.org.
