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Transportation in Canada 2006 |
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6 RAIL TRANSPORTATION
ENERGY
Class I carriers, including VIA Rail, significantly increased their fuel efficiency from 1990 to 2005. This can be explained by comparing fuel consumption and output. As Addendum Table A6-5 shows, fuel consumption by Class I railways, accounting for 92 per cent of total sector fuel consumption in 2005, has not fluctuated substantially since 1990. As Addendum Table A6-6 shows, however, output in terms of revenue tonne-kilometres increased by 46 per cent over the same period, from about 225 billion to 328 billion tonne-kilometres.
Both CN and CPR increased fuel efficiency through important investments in new locomotive replacement programs in the latter half of the 1990s. They also changed operating practices and reduced operations over low-density lines, which for the most part were transferred to other operators.
Table 6-5 compares output in the railway sector in 2004 and 2005, while Table 6-6 compares fuel consumption for the same years.
TABLE 6-5: RAILWAY OUTPUT IN MILLIONS OF REVENUE TONNE-KILOMETRES, 2004 AND 2005
| |
2004 |
2005 |
| Class 1 |
313,654.4 |
328,269.5 |
| Regional1 |
16,857.8 |
15,220.7 |
| Shortline1 |
7,843.5 |
8,583.5 |
| Total |
338,355.8 |
352,073.7 |
Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.
- Estimated for several carriers.
Source: Transport Canada, Statistics Canada
TABLE 6-6: RAILWAY FUEL CONSUMPTION, 2004 AND 2005
|
2004 |
2005 |
| Class 1 |
1,895.1 |
1,964.7 |
| Regional1 |
103.7 |
67.0 |
| Shortline1 |
100.5 |
102.9 |
| Total |
2,099.3 |
2,134.7 |
- Estimated for several carriers.
Source: Transport Canada, Statistics Canada
Both fuel consumption and output of regional railways has been relatively stable until recent years. Regional railways have competed well with Class I railways in terms of fuel efficiency, but in 2005 their efficiency exceeded that of the Class I railways. This is attributed to the extraordinary fuel efficiency of Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway (QNS&L), as well as BC Rail’s having dropped out of scope as a regional carrier. Due to the nature of its operations, the QNS&L has enjoyed fuel efficiency almost double the industry norm.
Major Events in 2006
Infastructure
Industry Structure
Employment
Energy
Freight Transportation
Passenger Traffic
Price, Productivity and Financial Performance
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