Fuel efficiency

• In 2011, railroads in the U.S. moved a ton of freight an average of 469 miles per gallon of fuel, up from 235 miles in 1980. On average, railroads are four times more fuel efficient than trucks. Railroad fuel efficiency is up 99 percent since 1980.


• Because greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to fuel consumption, railroads have a lower carbon footprint. Moving freight by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse emissions by 75 percent, on average.
  
  
• Iowa railroad fuel efficiency has increased 48 percent since 1985 when a gallon of diesel fuel moved a ton of freight an average of 294 miles. In 2008, on average, railroads moved a ton of freight an average of 436 miles per gallon. That is close to four times as far as it could move by truck.


• Each ton-mile of freight moved by rail rather than highway reduces green-house gas emmissions by two-thirds or more.