Domestic airlines consume one fifth more energy per passenger-mile than Amtrak, while cars consume over one quarter more than Amtrak.
Looked at the other way around, Amtrak uses 17% and 21% less energy per passenger-mile than airlines and cars, respectively.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory's newest data on national energy consumption were released this week and welcomed by the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
The figures are even more encouraging when additional factors are considered, such as the tendency of rail to stimulate pedestrian and transit friendly development, the fact that short distance flights are less energy-efficient than aviation's national average, and studies indicating that fossil fuel emissions at higher altitudes cause twice the warming effect on climate as those emitted at ground level.
Oak Ridge reported the following energy efficiency measures, stated in British Thermal Units per passenger mile. The lower the number, the greater the efficiency. One passenger mile is one passenger travelling one mile.
- Amtrak: 2,709
- Commuter rail: 2,743
- Rail transit: 2,784
- Certificated air carriers: 3,264 (excludes international services)
- Cars: 3,445
The Oak Ridge study, which is Edition 26 of its annual Transportation Energy Data Book, published under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, is in pdf at cta.ornl.gov/data/Index.shtml Then click on Edition 26 download page. See chapter 2 (tables 2.13 and 2.14 on pages 2-15 and 2-16).
NARP's discussion of the new data can be found at Narp
Information from Ross Capon at rcapon at narprail.org