2011 Rail Trends
www.railcan.ca
Member Companies
December 2010
6970184 Canada Ltd
Agence métropolitaine de transport
Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Amtrak
ArcelorMittal Mines Canada
Arnaud Railway Company
Barrie-Collingwood Railway
BNSF Railway Company
Burlington Northern (Manitoba) Ltd.
Canadian Pacific
Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway
Capital Railway
Carlton Trail Railway
Central Manitoba Railway Inc.
Charlevoix Railway Company Inc.
CN
CSX Transportation Inc.
Eastern Maine Railway Company
Essex Terminal Railway Company
Goderich-Exeter Railway Company Limited
Great Canadian Railtour Company Ltd.
Great Sandhills Railway Ltd.
Great Western Railway Ltd.
Hudson Bay Railway
Huron Central Railway Inc.
Kelowna Pacific Railway Ltd.
Kettle Falls International Railway, LLC
www.railcan.ca
Metrolinx
Montréal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.
New Brunswick Southern Railway Company Limited
Nipissing Central Railway Company
Norfolk Southern Railway
Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
Ontario Southland Railway Inc.
Ottawa Valley Railway
Québec Gatineau Railway Inc.
Québec North Shore and Labrador Railway
Company Inc.
Roberval and Saguenay Railway Company, The
Romaine River Railway Company
Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie
South Simcoe Railway
Southern Ontario Railway
Southern Railway of British Columbia Ltd.
St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (Québec) Inc.
Steam Train HCW
Sydney Coal Railway
Toronto Terminals Railway Company Limited, The
Trillium Railway Co. Ltd.
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc.
VIA Rail Canada Inc.
Wabush Lake Railway Company, Limited
West Coast Express Ltd.
Associate Members
December 2010
4 Refuel Canada LP
Absopulse Electronics Ltd
Accuworx Inc.
Administration portuaire de Montréal
AECOM
Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP
AllTrain – Training Solutions
Amsted Rail
BMT Fleet Technology Limited
Bombardier Inc.
Canac Railway Services Inc.
Canadian Heartland Training Railway
Canadian Rail Collision and Refurbishing Inc.
Consolidated Logistic Inc.
Davanac Inc.
Dessau
Ecopower Hybrid Systems Inc.
Entretien Ferroviaire JMSR inc.
Envirotec Services Incorporated
Fairplast Industries
(9151 9405 Québec Inc)
GATX Rail Canada Corporation
HDR Engineering
Hewitt Equipment Ltd.
IBI Group
Itech Environmental Remediation
Kenneth R. Peel, Barrister & Solicitor
MD-UN Inc.
Mecfor Inc.
MMM Group Ltd
NARSTCO
Neptec Design Group Ltd.
Newalta Industrial Services Inc.
Ozark Mountain Railcar
Peck & Hale L.L.C.
PNR Railworks Inc.
Quantum Murray LP
Rail Cantech
Raildecks (2009) Inc.
Railway 101 Consulting Services
RDG2 Technologies Inc.
Red Giant Oil Company
RTC Rail Solutions Ltd
Sandy Cooke Consulting Inc.
Siemens Canada Limited
SNC-Lavalin O&M
Soulanges Railway Services Inc.
Stantec Inc.
Stäubli Corporation
Tessco Technologies Inc.
Transportation Certification Services
VIdal Street Industrial Park Inc.
Whiting Equipment Canada
The Railway Association of Canada
99 Bank Street, Suite 901 • Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9
Telephone: (613) 567-8591 • Fax: (613) 567-6726
Email: rac@railcan.ca
ISBN 978-0-9809464-4-4
Table of Contents
1 Overview
13 Highlights
Statistical Highlights
14 Ten-year comparison
15 Freight revenue per ton-mile (tonne-kilometre)
16 Track operated, by provinces and territories
Rail Operations in Canada
17 Plant – track operated and equipment in service
18 Freight transportation
22 Fuel consumed
23 Train statistics
24 Intercity passenger transportation
26 Rail commuter
27 Additions to property
28 Employment
29 Productivity
Financial Highlights
30 Operating income
31 Operating expenses
32 Taxes by category
33 Taxes by jurisdiction
Glossary
Overview
2011
T his is the Railway Association of Canada’s 19th edition of Rail
Trends, an annual report on the performance of Canada’s freight
and passenger railway sector. The publication contains a rolling 10year review of financial and statistical results, reflecting all aspects of rail
performance. The RAC represents effectively all rail companies operating in
Canada - the large Class 1s, the regional railways and short lines, inter-city
passenger, commuter rail and tourist train operators.
For most of Canadian history, rail was composed of two Class 1 railways,
CN and CP, and a few regional railways. Then in the late 1980’s a small
number of short line railways began operations. The number of short line
railways continued to grow then expanded quickly between 1996 and
2000 with the enactment of the Canada Transportation Act of 1996 and
the subsequent rationalization of operations by CN and CP. Between 1996
and 1999 more than 5,400 miles (8,690 km) of track were transferred to
short line operators from CN and CP. Since 2000, the rate of transfers and
discontinuances has slowed considerably and, in recent years, some of
this light-density track has been reacquired by its original owner. In 1988,
the first year that the RAC began collecting industry statistics, the RAC’s
membership totaled 18. It has nearly tripled with 52 members today.
Short lines have been fulfilling a vital role in the rail sector during the
past 25 years. They have been instrumental in retaining rail infrastructure
and rail freight service in areas where it may have otherwise disappeared.
Short lines provide a direct link to North American rail networks for
customers located on branch lines. The traffic is collected by the short lines
and is generally interchanged with the short lines’ Class 1 partners. Today,
Canada’s railways, the customers, and the communities they serve, all
benefit from the results of the industry’s ongoing restructuring.
Overall, the rail sector fared particularly well during 2010 following the
2009 recession of the North American economy and the general contraction
of the global economy. During 2009, rail operators tackled the problem of
having to adapt to reduced business demand, whereas in 2010 the industry
had to quickly adapt to a completely different but welcomed problem – a
remarkable turnaround in growth.
1
2011
Overview
2
The Economy: Railways are leading the way
For railways, 2010 was a year of renewal. Increased performance
in terms of workload, performance and innovation have insured
that railways have played an important part in the post recession
performance of the Canadian economy. Understanding the strong
post-recession rebound of rail requires the understanding of a revenue
ton-mile (or RTM). An RTM is the most widely used measurement of
workload in the railway industry. A revenue ton-mile is the movement
of one revenue-producing ton of freight the distance of one mile. While
the overall Canadian economy saw several noteworthy developments
in 2010 in terms of employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
railways outperformed most other economic sectors. Canada’s economy
expanded 3.1 per cent during 2010 after shrinking 2.5 per cent in 2009,
confirming that the business cycle had progressed from the recovery
to the expansion phase. In the meantime, railways workload totalled
239.2 billion RTM compared to 210.9 billion RTM a year earlier, a 13.4
per cent improvement. The strong performance of rail is mainly due
to its increasing ability to connect shippers to markets both domestic
and abroad and connect passengers to destinations whether they are
travelling between cities or commuting to work.
This ability resulted in an increase of operating revenue of
12.2 percent between 2009 and 2010 to 10.8 Billion dollars. This
represents the second best operating revenue on record (the record
of $11.2 billion was set in 2008). It should be noted that even though
railways increased their revenues, they did so offering some of the
lowest freight rates in the world. Canadian rail freight rates have
been a full 2 cents per tonne-mile below the G7 average over the last
5 years.
In order to better understand the strong performance of Canadian
railways, we can breakdown operating revenue further. There are three
components to operating revenue: freight, passenger and other revenue.
Other revenue is largely composed of revenue for services provided
to rail passenger and rail commuter companies, as well as switching,
demurrage and miscellaneous rentals. Freight revenue of $9.6 billion in
2010 exceeded 2009’s freight revenue by $1.1 billion or 13.3 per cent.
Passenger revenue, representing revenue generated by intercity, rail
commuter and tourist trains, totalled $673 million in 2010, $46 million
or 7.3 per cent better than a year earlier and established a new record
high. Other revenue amounted to $544 million and was $5 million or
0.9 per cent higher than 2009. Freight companies produced 96 per cent
of this component of revenue.
Compared to a decade ago, 2010 freight revenue was $2.3 billion
or 32.6 per cent higher, passenger revenue almost doubled and other
revenue was $41 million or 8.2 per cent more than 2001.
In the meantime, the industry’s operating expenses totalled
$9.2 billion in 2010, an increase of $0.8 billion or 9.8 per cent over
the prior year and somewhat less than the $1.2 billion or 12.2 per cent
improvement in overall revenues for the same period.
Rail’s 2010 rebound can also be appreciated using another
measurement of industry workload: originated freight carloads by the
industry. 2010 saw a 14.7% increase of originated carloads to 3.9 million
carloads from 2009. This should not however obscure the fact that
railways had to adapt to the restructuring of the Canadian economy
over the last decade. To wit, the industry experienced a decrease of
2.5 per cent or 0.1 million carloads compared to 2001 when it originated
4.0 million carloads. On a tonnage originated basis, this industry
workload grew 16.1 per cent year-over-year but tonnage shrank 2.8 per
cent when compared to 2001.
The restructuring of the Canadian railways also had some very
positive effects. Looking at the decade, Intermodal was the fastest
growing commodity grouping with an increase of 201 thousand carloads
from 2001 to 2010. Intermodal also set a new record in 2010 for the
highest number of Intermodal carloads since the RAC began tracking
this statistic in 1996. Minerals recorded the second best improvement
during the past decade with an increase of 98 thousand carloads. Forest
products, with a decrease of 193 thousand carloads, experienced the
greatest reduction of all commodity groupings from 2001 to 2010,
resulting from soft market demand for lumber.
Given the importance of global supply chains for Canadian long
term prosperity, railways have been active participants in updating the
regulatory framework. On the public policy front, the rail industry has
been a partner with governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec to
see the realization of the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and
Trade Corridor. Any undertaking by government to improve trade flows
and the competitiveness of Canada’s multi-modal transportation sector
will be welcomed. One notable initiative emanating from cooperation
between industry and government has been the Beyond the Border
Working Group. This group was organised by the Government of
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Overview
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4
Canada to assist it as it pursues an agreement with the Unites
States on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The
consultations and negotiations have resulted in an initial agreement
that will see a one year pilot project for inbound containers at Prince
Rupert, B.C.
The support of the Canadian rail industry to the strengthening of
the Canadian regulatory framework has also led them to participate
over the past number of years with the Government of Canada and
other stakeholders to see the successful completion of the Rail Freight
Service Review. Recognizing the importance of a commercial based
process to address the needs of all players in the supply chain system,
the Government of Canada recently announced the appointment of a
facilitator to work with railways and their customers to develop service
agreement template that will meet the requirements of the railways
and their customers. The railways will continue to work constructively
with the Government of Canada and its appointed facilitator to achieve
a commercial based approach that will optimize service and benefit
customers and all participants in the rail freight supply chain.
The streamlining of cross-border regulatory obligations is fundamental
to the development of new opportunities for Canadian shippers and to
the future performance of rail. Exports to the U.S. grew 9.5 per cent, led
by higher exports of industrial goods and materials. Imports increased
10.6 per cent as volumes rose in all sectors. The U.S. share of Canada’s
trade (exports and imports combined) continued to fall in 2010, although
it remained Canada’s largest trading partner. The U.S. represented
62.5 per cent of total merchandise trade in 2010, down from 76.3 per
cent in 2001. During the same period, Canada’s trade with China more
than tripled.
Although Canada’s rail sector conducts its business and reports its
earnings in Canadian dollars, some portion of revenues and expenses
are denominated in U.S. dollars and are affected by exchange-rate
fluctuations. U.S. dollar-denominated revenues and expenses decrease
when the Canadian dollar strengthens in relation to the U.S. dollar. The
Canadian dollar closed 2009 at $0.951 USD, then climbed to $1.005 USD
in April 2010 but declined to a low of $0.922 USD in May. As commodity
prices appreciated, the Canadian dollar escalated to reach a high of
$1.007 USD at the end of 2010. The average value of the Canadian dollar
against the U.S. dollar in 2010 rose 10.9 per cent to $0.971 USD after
falling 6.7 per cent in 2009.
Total revenue from passenger transportation services represents
combined intercity, tourist train and rail commuter services. These
services totalled $673 million in revenue for 2010 compared to
$627 million in 2009, a $46 million or 7.3 per cent betterment yearover-year. 2010 passenger revenue also established a new record high
by outpacing the previous high of $661 million set in 2008. Compared
to a decade ago, revenue from passenger transportation services almost
doubled itself. However, these results are somewhat skewed by the fact
that 2010 includes companies which were not RAC members in 2001.
Removing those companies which did not report revenue for both years,
results in 2010 revenue of $353 million compared to 2001 revenue of
$324 million, a difference of $29 million or 9.0 per cent.
Revenue for intercity passenger services rose from $268 million
in 2009 to $278 million in 2010, an increase of $10 million or 3.7 per
cent. The number of passengers carried during 2010 totalled 4.5 million,
virtually unchanged from the year prior. Compared to 2001, the 2010
passenger count was 8.9 per cent greater.
VIA represents the majority of Canada’s intercity passenger services,
carrying 93 per cent of all intercity passengers in 2010. VIA operates
up to 497 trains weekly over 7,665 miles (12,336 kilometres) of track,
connecting over 450 Canadian communities. VIA managed to increase
total revenues in 2010 over 2009 despite a drop in ridership and
continued volatility in the marketplace. VIA’s 2010 operating revenues
grew 3.1 per cent while passenger miles declined 1.3 per cent. As a
result, VIA’s yield, defined as the revenue generated per passenger mile,
improved 4.5 per cent year-over-year.
2011
Overview
5
Overview
Infrastructure Investment and Productivity
2011
In order to maintain their position of leaders in the Canadian economy,
railways have always had to invest to maintain and develop their
infrastructure. 2010 was in that sense no different for Canadian railways.
The industry term for infrastructure maintenance and development is
“additions to property”. The major components of additions to property
include replacing rail, ties, and other track materials, improving bridges
as well as rolling stock purchases and re-builds. The latter contributes
to the productivity and overall fuel efficiency of the fleet while also
meeting customer requirements. Other examples include expenditures on
facilities to capture business opportunities and investment in information
technology systems to better services and operating efficiencies.
The industry invested $1.7 billion on additions to property in 2010,
up $181 million or 11.9 per cent over the year prior. Compared to 2001
when the industry spent $1.1 billion in its plant, 2010 expenditures were
$630 million or 58.6 per cent greater and represented the highest capital
spending of the past decade.
In order to insure that Canadian railway performance is everincreasing, railways are expanding their network and making sure their
existing network is well maintained. That is why track and roadway
expenditures totaled $804 million in 2010, almost half of the annual
total additions to property. Compared to a year earlier, 2010 track and
6
roadway expenditures were $98 million or 13.8 per cent higher and
2.5 times larger than 2001 expenditures of $331 million. The rolling
stock category recorded the second highest expenditures in 2010 with
investment totaling $427 million, $110 million or 34.7 per cent higher
than 2009 and $112 million or 35.6 per cent more than a decade earlier.
Optimal performance over a network spanning thousands of miles
requires efficient allocation of resources. The performance of railways can
be analyzed through various metrics. One of them is revenue per RTM. As
previously mentioned, 2010 freight revenue of $9.6 billion was $1.1 billion
or 13.3 per cent better than 2009. Responsible for this increase were the
combined effects of a 13.4 per cent increase in the RTM (RTK) workload
and a flat change in the revenue per unit of workload – revenue per RTM
(RTK). Revenue per RTM (RTK) remained virtually unchanged from 2009 at
3.99 cents per RTM (2.74 cents per RTK). Revenue per RTM measures yield
and represents the revenue earned on the movement of a ton of freight
over the distance of one mile.
A look at the 10-year variation in freight revenue shows a very
different result. Freight revenue was $2.3 billion or 32.6 per cent higher
than 2001 due to the combined effects of an 8.5 per cent larger RTM
(RTK) workload and a 22.0 per cent increase in revenue per RTM (RTK).
Revenue per ton-mile (tonne-kilometre) grew from 3.27 cents per RTM
(2.23 cents per RTK) in 2001 to 3.99 cents per RTM (2.74 cents per RTK)
in 2010.
To better understand the industry’s results, it is necessary to more
closely examine the operating expenses of the freight railways in
isolation. The operating expenses of the freight railways amounted
to $8.1 billion in 2010 compared to $7.3 billion in 2009, an increase
of $0.8 billion or 11.0 per cent. This year-over-year rise in operating
expenses was the direct result of the 13.4 per cent larger RTM (RTK)
workload combined with a 3.2 per cent lower expense per unit of
workload or expense per RTM (RTK). Expense per RTM (RTK) dropped
from 3.48 cents per RTM (2.39 cents per RTK) in 2009 to 3.37 cents per
RTM (2.31 cents per RTK) in 2010. When considering the 10.5 per cent
jump in the cost per gallon (litre) for diesel fuel in 2010, the industry
fared remarkably well, lowering the year-over-year cost per RTM (RTK).
Since fuel surcharges are recorded to revenue, these recovered costs are
not reflected in the expenses per RTM (RTK) reported here.
Supplemental proof of the ability of railways to allocate their
resources more efficiently is the evolution of productivity. The key
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Overview
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2011
Overview
8
measurement of employee productivity in the railway industry is
RTM (RTK) per employee. Each year from 2001 to 2007, the industry
consistently achieved gains in this productivity measurement. The gains
were temporarily suspended in 2008 and 2009 as the industry struggled
to adapt to lower workload volumes. However, in 2010, the industry
not only recovered but established a new record high in employee
productivity with 8.3 million RTM (12.1 million RTK) per employee. This
success is made possible with the right combination of people, more
advanced technology and improvements in infrastructure.
RTM (RTK) per employee grew 11.9 per cent in 2010 relative to 2009.
Responsible for this gain was a 13.4 per cent expansion of the RTM
(RTK) workload that was partially offset by a much smaller 1.3 per cent
expansion of the freight railways’ workforce. During the past decade,
RTM (RTK) per employee leaped an impressive 34.4 per cent, the result
of 19.2 per cent fewer employees handling an 8.5 per cent larger
workload than in 2001.
Another productivity measurement is road miles (kilometres) per
employee and is calculated by dividing total first main track operated
by all freight railways by the number of their employees. This particular
productivity measurement yielded a 2.0 per cent contraction between
2009 and 2010 but its 10-year performance was much better with a
noteworthy 18.5 per cent gain.
Operating revenue per employee also measures employee pro­
ductivity. The industry achieved a healthy 10.8 per cent increase yearover-year and a remarkable 61.4 per cent improvement in its 10-year
productivity ratio.
Better trained, higher paid and more flexible employees working with
new, more productive processes and technology played an integral role in
the industry’s success to achieve and build on these productivity gains.
The industry did well in terms of the cost associated with these
overall long-term gains in employee productivity. The average annual
wage per employee increased 5.2 per cent from 2009 to 2010 and only
26.6 per cent over the 10-year period from 2001 to 2010.
The strong gains of railways in terms of innovation however require
better understanding by government of the challenges it places on
them. While Canada’s economy continues to recover from the world
economic recession, Canada’s governments have been slow to address
inequities within the field of taxation. As governments move to address
burgeoning deficits and debts, inequities within the tax system continue
to put Canada’s railways at a disadvantage to their neighbours to the
south. More needs to be done with respect to fuel, excise, property,
capital and income taxes in order to have a true level playing field with
U.S. rail.
The industry’s drive to innovate will require continued infrastructure
investment by government, especially in Ontario where proposals are
in front of both the federal government and the Ontario government
totalling $9 million.
VIA has been especially busy in recent years renovating its
infrastructure and equipment. The Government of Canada announced
a five-year $516 million investment in 2007 to improve and expand
the capacity of passenger rail services. An additional $407 million was
made available for capital projects in 2009, through Canada’s Economic
Action Plan, the Government’s economic stimulus funding program. VIA’s
capital investment program made solid progress in 2010. Rebuilt and
modernized locomotives and passenger cars returned to service during
the year. New station projects were begun across the country and major
construction projects to upgrade and expand track capacity are on target
for completion.
On-time performance is one of the most critical factors affecting
customer satisfaction. Work on infrastructure projects created significant
challenges for VIA, affecting the on-time performance of some of its
trains. However, coordinated efforts brought on-time improvements to
specific services, especially for Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto trains. As well,
performance in Eastern Canada improved dramatically during 2010. On
the whole, VIA managed to keep overall on-time performance in line
with 2009, while progressing forward with the major track upgrades and
construction projects.
VIA has allocated $488.5 million to expand and improve the
infrastructure in the busy Ontario-Quebec corridor, particularly in the
Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto triangle where demand for passenger rail
service is highest. In the past, VIA’s ability to meet growing demand
has been limited by the capacity of the track itself, which is shared by
both passenger and freight trains. To increase capacity, VIA is upgrading
existing tracks to higher standards to allow passenger trains to operate
at higher speeds, it is building new sidings to eliminate bottlenecks
and it is adding a third line of track along major parts of the MontrealToronto line to significantly reduce congestion between passenger and
freight traffic at specific points along that route. Increased performance
2011
Overview
9
Overview
metrics bode well for future rail performance but some of the most
positive achievements by Canadian rail in 2010 are not due to economic
performance; they are due to the concern of railways with safety.
Safety
The performance of Canadian railways in terms of safety has steadily
increased over the last decade. The data collected in order to analyze
the performance of rail comes from the Canadian Transportation Safety
Board and the RAC. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board maintains
a database of safety performance statistics on federally-regulated
railways and the RAC collects similar statistics on provincially-regulated
operations. Overall, rail continued to deliver consistent improvements in
its safety performance in 2010, both freight and passenger railways.
During 2010, there were 1,170 freight railway-related accidents
in Canada, 45 more than in 2009. However, the number of accidents
based on the industry’s workload, or the rate per billion gross ton-miles,
actually decreased from 2.8 in 2009 to 2.6 in 2010. As depicted in the
chart below, this statistic has continued to decline steadily every year
since 2005 when 3.6 accidents per billion gross ton-miles were recorded,
representing a 27.8 per cent improvement over the past five years.
2011
Rail Accidents and Accident Rate
1,800
4.5
1,600
3.4
1,400
2.3
1,200
1.1
10
1,000
2005
2006
Freight train accidents
2007
2008
2009
2010
Freight train accidents per billion gross ton-miles
0
Overview
Environment
Rail is the green mode of transportation. It moves a tonne of freight
180 kilometres on 1 litre of fuel. In order to maintain this title, railways
have been investing in new technologies and have been looking for
better ways to manage their infrastructure. EPA tier level locomotives
now comprise 42.1 percent of the total Canadian fleet. Environmental
achievements by rail require an increase in fuel consumption efficiency.
Fuel consumption productivity remains in the spotlight today due to
the higher cost of diesel fuel in recent years. RTM (RTK) per gallon (litre)
of fuel consumed grew 3.1 per cent in 2010 compared to 2009 and
improved 7.7 per cent since 2001. These gains are achieved by employing
fuel-efficiency initiatives such as scheduling trains based on capacity
to minimize congestion, better matching of horsepower to tonnage,
improved train handling techniques and the use of fuel-saving devices
on locomotives. The most effective fuel saving initiative continues to be
locomotive fleet renewals as older less fuel-efficient locomotives are
replaced by higher horsepower, more fuel-efficient locomotives.
Evidence that these fuel-efficiency initiatives are effective is readily
available when we examine the industry’s expanding workloads over
the last ten years. During this period, total fuel consumed by the industry
2011
Actually, we can go back to 2002 safety performance statistics, when
the RAC began collecting provincial data, and conclude that this success
stretches from 2002 to 2010. Through this period, the accident rate per
billion gross ton-miles fell from 4.3 to 2.6, a remarkable 39.5 per cent
improvement in safety performance by the freight railways.
Passenger railways registered 62 train accidents in 2010, five
fewer accidents than 2009. The accident rate for passenger railways is
determined by calculating the number of accidents per million intercity
passengers and rail commuters. The accident rate dropped to 0.85 in
2010 from 0.95 in 2009, a 10.5 per cent decrease. Also noteworthy is
the five-year 36.6 per cent reduction in the accident rate from 1.34 in
2005 to 0.85 in 2010.
Finally, the rail industry has worked closely with the Government
of Canada on updating the Railway Safety Act. Bill S-4 is working its
way through parliament. While the industry supports the legislation in
principle, it believes the bill could be improved considerably through
a few simple amendments that would address safety in addition to
administrative issues.
11
2011
Overview
12
increased only 1.4 per cent. At the same time, freight workload grew
8.5 percent, the number of intercity passengers expanded 8.9 per cent
and commuter trains transported 42.9 per cent more commuters.
Asset utilization is one more measurement of productivity. As
noted above, freight, passenger and rail commuter workloads all
increased during the 10-year period from 2001 to 2010. Also during
the past decade, the industry reduced its locomotive fleet 6.0 per cent,
down-sized its freight car inventory 30.1 per cent and lowered miles
(kilometres) of road operated 4.5 per cent. However, improving asset
reallocation is not just about doing more with less. It also includes
improving the remaining plant with upgrades to infrastructure and
renewal programs for locomotives, freight cars and passenger cars.
While it is correct to remember that railways have increased their
fuel efficiency, they have also been affected by the rise in energy prices.
Compared to 2009, fuel expenses soared $252 million or 20.8 per cent
in 2010. This was due to a 10.5 per cent escalation in the cost per
gallon (litre) of diesel fuel combined with a 13.4 per cent larger freight
workload. The fuel expense increase could have been more severe if not
for improved efficiencies from ongoing fuel-conservation programs, the
operation of longer trains by CN and CP and fuel hedging programs.
Overview
Highlights
• If 2009 is to be remembered as the year of the recession in North
America and the general contraction of the global economy, then
2010 will be regarded as the year of recovery. Freight workload,
as measured in revenue ton-miles (tonne-kilometres), expanded
13.4 per cent in 2010 after shrinking 11.1 per cent in 2009. The
2010 intercity passenger workload, or passengers carried, decreased
1.3 per cent compared to a drop of 7.4 per cent in 2009. Rail
commuter workload improved 3.9 per cent in 2010 after a 1.6 per
cent reduction in 2009.
• It was a notable year for total industry operating revenue. Total
revenue improved a substantial 12.2 per cent over 2009 and grew
33.7 per cent since 2001. It was also the second highest revenue on
record. Freight revenue, the largest component of industry revenue,
experienced similar gains and established the same second place
record for the decade. Passenger revenue in 2010 was 7.3 per cent
higher year-over-year and almost doubled 2001 revenue. Passenger
revenue enjoyed its best year ever.
• Total industry operating income of $1.6 billion in 2010 surpassed
2009 by 28.0 per cent and beat 2001 by 11.3 per cent.
2011
I hope that you find “Rail Trends” informative, and our comments and
insights useful. We welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
13
J.C. (Cliff) Mackay
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Railway Association of Canada
Statistical Highlights
Ten-year comparison
2001
2009
2010
Revenue ton-miles (billions)
Revenue tonne-kilometres (billions)
Miles of road operated (1)
Kilometres of road operated (1)
Locomotives
Freight cars (000)
Gallons of fuel (millions)
Litres of fuel (millions)
Employees Annual wage per employee ($)
220.4
321.7
28,951
46,591
3,142
103
444
2,019
39,511
62,675
210.9
307.9
28,162
45,322
2,742
76
412
1,871
32,337
75,415
239.2
349.1
27,652
44,501
2,954
72
451
2,049
32,565
79,373
Percentage change
2010 versus:
2001
2009
8.5
8.5
-4.5
-4.5
-6.0
-30.1
1.5
1.5
-17.6
26.6
13.4
13.4
-1.8
-1.8
7.7
-5.3
9.5
9.5
0.7
5.2
1. Miles (kilometres) of road operated include road over which a railway has operating rights.
Freight revenue ($) per ton (tonne)
2011
Freight revenue per ton (tonne) is calculated by dividing freight revenue by total tons
(tonnes) originated.
14
Revenue per
ton
tonne
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
22.43
22.89
22.53
23.47
25.60
27.78
28.16
31.24
31.34
30.59
24.73
25.23
24.83
25.87
28.22
30.63
31.04
34.44
34.55
33.71
Index
2001 = 100
Consumer Price
Index
100.0
102.1
100.4
104.6
114.1
123.9
125.5
139.3
139.7
136.4
100.0
102.2
105.1
107.1
109.4
111.6
114.0
116.7
117.1
119.1
Statistical Highlights
Freight revenue (cents) per ton-mile (tonne-kilometre)
Revenue per
ton-mile
tonne-kilometre
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
3.27
3.44
3.32
3.37
3.64
3.87
3.84
4.20
4.00
3.99
2.23
2.35
2.28
2.31
2.49
2.65
2.63
2.87
2.74
2.74
Index
2001 = 100
100.0
105.2
101.5
103.1
111.3
118.3
117.4
128.4
122.3
122.0
Freight revenue (cents) per ton-mile4.00
2011
4.50
4.20
15
3.90
3.60
3.30
3.00
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Statistical Highlights
Track operated, by provinces and territories (2)
2009
2010
Miles Kilometres
Miles Kilometres
4,234
4,158
2,764
286
721
406
6,851
3,844
4,823
75
6,814
6,692
4,448
459
1,160
655
11,026
6,186
7,762
121
4,199
4,144
2,724
244
724
409
6,549
3,695
4,889
75
6,758
6,669
4,384
393
1,166
657
10,540
5,947
7,868
121
Total
28,162
Intercity passenger trains 7,824
Commuter and tourist trains
2,116
Segments terminating in the U.S.
154
45,323
12,592
3,405
248
27,652
7,820
1,961
152
44,501
12,585
3,155
245
Grand total
61,568
37,585
60,486
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Newfoundland & Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Northwest Territories
38,256
2.First main track only. Excludes second and other main track, passing tracks and crossovers, industrial tracks,
spurs and yard tracks.
2011
Freight Transportation
Intermodal traffic originated (3)
16
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Trailers
(000)
Containers
(000)
Total
(000)
192
214
217
149
112
106
102
101
83
81
1,636
1,820
1,937
2,010
2,134
2,251
2,334
2,396
2,033
2,361
1,828
2,034
2,154
2,159
2,246
2,357
2,436
2,497
2,116
2,442
3.Reflects both Canadian and U.S. operations of Canadian Class 1 railways. Intermodal units are actual counts of
trailers and containers, regardless of size, and are not “twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs)”
Rail Operations in Canada
Plant - track operated (4)
Equipment in service
Miles
Kilometres
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
28,951
29,087
29,138
30,551
30,380
29,978
29,713
29,366
28,162
27,652
46,591
46,811
46,893
49,167
48,893
48,243
47,816
47,258
45,323
44,501
Index
2001 = 100
100.0
100.5
100.6
105.5
104.9
103.5
102.6
101.4
97.3
95.5
Freight cars Locomotives
in service in service
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
102,790
98,001
97,039
99,141
101,606
99,946
92,373
83,984
75,836
71,788
3,142
3,129
3,170
3,234
3,253
3,271
3,165
3,046
2,742
2,954
4. First main track only. Excludes second and other main track, passing tracks and crossovers, industrial tracks,
spurs and yard tracks. Excludes intercity passenger trains, commuter & tourist trains and segments terminating in
the U.S.
MILES of track operated
30,400
2011
31,200
29,600
17
28,800
28,000
27,200
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rail Operations in Canada
Freight Transportation
Carload traffic
Carloads
originated (000)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
4,017
3,992
4,092
4,212
4,290
4,260
4,196
3,984
3,367
3,871
Tons
originated
(000)
Tonnes
originated
(000)
321,127
317,432
327,126
337,923
343,464
339,394
337,989
318,688
269,028
312,240
291,326
287,974
296,768
306,563
311,590
307,897
306,623
289,114
244,062
283,279
Tons
per
carload
80
80
80
80
80
80
81
80
80
81
5. Tons (tonnes) per carload: Tons (tonnes) originated divided by carloads originated.
CARLOADS ORIGINATED (000)
2011
4,500
18
4,000
3,500
3,000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
(5)
Tonnes
per
carload (5)
73
73
73
73
73
73
73
73
73
73
Rail Operations in Canada
Freight transportation
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Freight train
miles
(000)
Freight train
kilometres
(000)
70,704
72,194
72,873
74,284
76,400
76,451
74,100
71,712
59,576
64,976
113,784
116,185
117,278
119,548
122,953
123,035
119,253
115,409
95,877
104,568
Revenue
ton-miles (millions)
Revenue
tonne-kilometres
(millions)
220,374
211,500
221,653
235,114
241,745
243,744
247,709
237,323
210,898
239,158
321,714
308,759
323,581
343,232
352,912
355,831
361,619
346,457
307,880
349,135
REVENUE TON-MILES (millions)
250,000
2011
19
225,000
200,000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rail Operations in Canada
2011
Freight Transportation
Carloads originated by commodity grouping (6, 7)
20
Agriculture
Coal
Minerals
Forest Products
Metals
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
452,423
364,754
345,025
412,099
416,473
453,151
454,034
430,292
474,980
462,445
349,992
342,432
327,182
337,592
353,197
321,266
349,983
324,931
277,048
327,419
605,693
741,277
773,079
798,143
783,834
778,283
786,882
764,224
519,945
703,270
398,430
403,908
430,662
442,689
433,138
388,035
317,158
253,279
182,395
205,120
Fuels &
Chemicals
Paper
Products
Food Manufactured &
Products Miscellaneous Intermodal
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
425,976
469,514
474,342
485,197
469,655
470,833
470,876
443,125
401,141
419,905
237,380
274,219
302,994
333,061
333,830
274,092
252,150
228,072
175,693
170,823
38,322
30,391
32,652
40,587
44,169
41,454
41,822
42,365
42,232
52,240
56,269
55,624
51,652
63,890
65,629
66,333
65,923
75,160
79,445
92,949
139,538
149,346
138,927
167,641
168,598
184,540
182,522
179,896
122,486
160,895
646,692
691,417
712,377
722,412
769,936
819,552
832,663
847,647
741,807
847,832
Machinery &
Automotive
247,438
277,288
270,411
253,003
235,480
244,395
234,830
195,308
148,123
185,962
Total
3,598,153
3,800,170
3,859,303
4,056,314
4,073,939
4,041,934
3,988,843
3,784,299
3,165,295
3,628,860
6. Not all member companies record carloads originated by commodity grouping. The Intermodal counts represent an
average load factor that determined the number of carloads reported.
7. A regional railway requested a reclassification of its historical counts of originated carloads of Metals to Minerals.
Industry totals for Metals and Minerals have been restated accordingly.
Rail Operations in Canada
Freight Transportation
Revenue from carloads originated by commodity grouping ($millions) (8, 9)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
732
761
875
948
1,125
1,157
1,161
1,259
1,221
Fuels &
Chemicals
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
416
405
513
738
676
709
706
502
598
Paper
Products
777
739
771
804
836
837
902
818
853
502
518
595
642
582
541
531
423
437
Forest Products
Metals
686
711
834
868
844
899
911
525
772
619
615
798
969
928
780
646
478
500
Machinery &
Automotive
301
294
333
372
409
396
453
317
381
Food Manufactured &
Products Miscellaneous Intermodal
55
58
70
74
81
81
89
94
128
92
96
93
112
114
116
126
113
130
1,679
1,760
1,885
2,152
2,377
2,452
2,702
2,273
2,592
477
460
397
414
433
445
443
337
394
Total
6,336
6,417
7,164
8,093
8,405
8,413
8,672
7,139
8,006
8. Not all member companies record revenue by commodity grouping.
9.A regional railway requested a reclassification of its historical counts of originated carloads of Metals to Minerals.
Industry totals for Metals and Minerals have been restated accordingly.
Carloads originated by commodity grouping
Intermodal 23%
13% Agriculture
Manufactured & Miscellaneous 3%
9% Coal
Food Products 1%
19% Minerals
Paper Products 5%
6% Forest Products
Fuel & Chemicals 12%
Machinery & Automotive 5%
4% Metals
2011
Agriculture
Coal
Minerals
21
Rail Operations in Canada
Fuel Consumed
Total fuel consumed
gallons (000)
litres (000)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
444,245
451,100
458,023
480,499
485,915
486,218
492,125
480,661
411,612
450,684
2011
Gross ton-miles
(millions)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Revenue ton-miles Revenue tonne-km
per gallon of
per litre of
fuel consumed
fuel consumed
2,019,436
2,050,729
2,082,207
2,184,384
2,209,007
2,210,384
2,237,237
2,185,120
1,871,221
2,048,841
522
495
510
513
523
527
529
520
545
562
Gross tonne-km Cost of diesel fuel
(millions)
per gallon ($) per litre (cents)
399,457
398,681
415,290
441,467
457,950
459,633
463,356
449,922
397,293
447,052
583,149
582,016
606,263
644,478
668,540
670,997
676,433
656,821
579,990
652,631
1.82
1.65
1.73
1.81
2.38
2.81
3.07
4.23
2.94
3.25
22
FUEL CONSUMED IN GALLONS (000)
500,000
450,000
400,000
2001
2002
2003
168
159
164
165
168
169
170
167
175
182
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
40.1
36.2
38.0
39.8
52.5
61.8
67.6
93.0
64.8
71.4
Rail Operations in Canada
Train Statistics
Average: Length of haul/Cars per train
Miles (kilometres) hauled
by transcontinental
railways (CN and CPR)
Miles Kilometres
789
795
794
787
789
803
807
818
830
850
1,270
1,279
1,278
1,267
1,270
1,292
1,299
1,316
1,336
1,368
Average
cars per
freight train
Miles Kilometres
Cars
162
150
151
161
149
159
151
146
159
138
73
74
74
78
79
79
81
82
87
92
261
241
243
259
240
256
243
235
256
222
AVERAGE CARS PER FREIGHT TRAIN
2011
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Miles (kilometres) hauled
by regional/short line
railways
100
23
90
80
70
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rail Operations in Canada
Passenger Transportation
Intercity passenger transportation
Passenger cars
in service
2011
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Number of Passenger
passengers miles
kilometres
(000)
(millions)
(millions)
421
473
505
465
538
537
538
540
559
545
4,112
4,223
4,024
4,181
4,322
4,320
4,478
4,899
4,538
4,477
965
992
931
894
919
906
912
986
894
877
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS (000)
5,000
24
4,500
4,000
3,500
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
1,553
1,597
1,498
1,439
1,479
1,458
1,468
1,588
1,439
1,412
Rail Operations in Canada
Intercity passenger transportation
Passenger train Passenger car
miles
kilometres
miles
kilometres
(000)
(000)
(000)
(000)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
7,338
7,406
7,252
7,214
7,415
7,381
7,330
7,414
7,334
7,331
11,809
11,919
11,671
11,611
11,933
11,879
11,796
11,932
11,803
11,799
Average intercity passengers
per train
132
134
128
124
124
123
124
133
122
120
Average passenger load factor (%)
57
57
53
53
55
54
55
59
57
57
47,991
50,035
50,087
49,707
49,966
49,400
48,708
49,140
47,290
46,275
77,232
80,523
80,607
79,995
80,412
79,501
78,388
79,083
76,106
74,472
Average length of journey
miles
kilometres
238
238
226
219
217
214
209
206
203
204
383
383
364
352
349
344
336
332
327
328
On-time performance (%)
85
84
73
70
81
84
77
75
83
82
2011
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
25
Rail Operations in Canada
Passenger Transportation
Rail commuter
Commuter train Commuter car
miles
kilometres
miles
kilometres
(000)
(000)
(000)
(000)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
199,957
204,198
214,089
224,833
237,781
247,066
256,123
245,942
256,134
2011
321,801
328,626
344,544
361,834
382,672
397,615
412,190
395,806
412,209
Average rail commuters
per train
2,592
2,724
2,749
2,820
2,730
2,808
2,832
2,876
3,008
Rail commuters (000)
in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec
2001
2002
284
2003
260
2004
287
2005
283
2006
300
2007
339
2008
340
2009
301
2010
310
47,968
50,132
52,688
54,905
58,235
60,634
63,393
67,052
65,962
68,562
26
RAIL COMMUTERS (000)
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
4,171
4,384
4,425
4,539
4,394
4,518
4,558
4,628
4,841
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rail Operations in Canada
Track &
roadway
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Buildings & related machinery
& equipment.
Signals,
communications
& power
Terminals &
fuel stations
236
310
202
188
189
212
255
189
257
231
64
42
47
38
95
74
44
79
72
109
44
17
24
11
27
37
43
26
24
16
331
374
333
364
582
613
618
688
706
804
Work equipment
Rolling
Intermodal
& roadway
stock
equipment
machines
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
315
208
313
337
416
352
350
290
317
427
56
16
25
30
39
48
30
29
34
15
13
34
41
36
31
44
41
68
42
49
Other
equipment
Total
additions
16
14
21
39
15
28
18
22
72
55
1,075
1,015
1,006
1,043
1,394
1,408
1,399
1,391
1,524
1,705
2011
Additions to Property
Additions to property ($millions)
27
Rail Operations in Canada
Employment
Employment
Total
compensation
($millions) (10)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2,474
2,392
2,412
2,387
2,548
2,535
2,566
2,633
2,439
2,585
Average
number of
employees
Average
annual wage
per employee ($)
39,511
37,296
36,599
35,736
35,389
34,558
34,938
35,208
32,337
32,565
62,675
64,229
65,901
66,804
71,994
73,356
73,440
74,790
75,415
79,373
2011
10.Compensation includes salaries and compensation paid and excludes company paid benefits such as Canada/
Quebec Pension Plan, Unemployment Insurance and health taxes.
AVERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
50,000
28
40,000
30,000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Rail Operations in Canada
Productivity
Revenue ton-miles per employee
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Revenue
Revenue
ton-miles per tonne-kilometres per
employee (000) employee (000) 6,167
6,319
6,764
7,352
7,679
7,963
8,045
7,625
7,404
8,287
9,003
9,225
9,874
10,733
11,210
11,625
11,745
11,132
10,809
12,098
Road
miles per
employee
Road
kilometres per
employee
0.81
0.87
0.89
0.93
0.96
0.98
0.96
0.94
0.98
0.96
1.30
1.40
1.43
1.50
1.54
1.58
1.54
1.51
1.58
1.54
REVENUE TON-MILES PER EMPLOYEE (000)
2011
8,500
29
7,500
6,500
5,500
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Financial Highlights
Operating Income
Operating revenue ($millions)
Freight
Passenger
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
7,203
7,266
7,369
7,931
8,794
9,430
9,516
9,957
8,433
9,551
346
389
364
386
576
622
624
661
627
673
(11)
Other
503
487
484
506
570
561
564
579
539
544
Total
8,052
8,142
8,217
8,823
9,940
10,613
10,704
11,197
9,599
10,768
11. Federal, provincial and municipal funding of $419 million in 2010 for Intercity passenger and commuter services
is excluded.
2011
Operating income ($millions)
30
Income
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
1,434
1,428
1,484
1,704
2,164
2,402
2,209
2,030
1,247
1,596
Financial Highlights
Operating expenses
Operating expenses ($millions) (12)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Maintenance
of equipment
1,997
2,037
2,086
2,180
2,241
2,224
2,337
2,376
2,065
2,195
798
734
781
862
1,159
1,367
1,513
2,032
1,212
1,464
1,476
1,300
1,280
1,290
1,382
1,575
1,634
1,564
1,555
1,453
Maintenance-of-way
and structures
General and
administrative
Total operating
expense
1,227
1,374
1,421
1,421
1,493
1,408
1,549
1,718
1,612
1,766
1,120
1,269
1,165
1,366
1,501
1,637
1,462
1,477
1,908
2,294
6,618
6,714
6,733
7,119
7,776
8,211
8,495
9,167
8,352
9,172
12. Charges for restructuring, relocation and write-down of assets are excluded.
2011
Transportation
Fuel
31
Financial Highlights
Taxes by category ($millions)
Total
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Locomotive
fuel & Property
excise tax
tax
654
654
742
698
716
1,084
989
930
853
787
164
168
173
174
180
188
188
187
177
195
Other
sales
tax
139
143
139
141
155
155
154
152
152
150
104
118
101
90
98
102
97
99
97
96
Capital tax
& customs Income
duties
tax
58
42
64
25
31
21
15
14
14
14
36
27
110
118
101
471
381
323
265
185
Payroll
taxes
153
156
155
150
151
147
154
155
148
147
Payroll taxes ($millions)
2011
32
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Canada/Quebec
Pension Plan
Unemployment
Insurance
Health
Taxes
Total
65
68
73
71
72
72
75
77
74
73
47
45
42
37
36
32
33
33
30
31
41
43
40
42
43
43
46
45
44
43
153
156
155
150
151
147
154
155
148
147
Financial Highlights
Taxes by jurisdiction ($000)
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Nfld. & Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan Northwest Territories
Federal
Total
Locomotive fuel
& excise tax
2009
2010
4,066
26,230
9,376
0
1,138
0
24,301
4,984
38,732
0
68,569
Fuel tax per litre
(cents)
2010
4,535
38,949
9,765
0
1,559
0
24,127
4,852
35,158
0
76,453
1.5
3.0
6.3
0.0
4.3
0.0
4.5
3.0
15.0
11.4
4.0
177,396 195,397
Other sales tax
2009
2010
Property tax
2009
2010
12,778
37,771
13,588
65
1,500
2,518
37,517
32,843
13,649
96
0
12,616
39,520
13,505
53
1,660
2,760
34,784
31,012
14,040
75
0
152,325 150,025
Capital tax &
customs duties
2009
2010
Income tax
2009
2010
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Nfld. & Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan Northwest Territories
Federal 0
21,659
10,402
0
0
0
30,441
10,733
6,035
0
17,598
44
11,507
11,810
0
0
0
17,084
12,892
7,672
0
35,218
0
2
2,926
0
0
286
5,594
4,894
-179
0
420
0
2
2,486
0
0
200
7,747
2,900
0
0
270
15,029 11,586
353
229
0
0
0
0
1,740
1,617
413
290
29,059 44,763
14,093
6,412
0
36
0
0
204,793 119,732
Total
96,868
96,227
13,943
13,605
265,480 184,665
2011
33
Glossary
Average length of haul: Calculated by
dividing revenue ton-miles by revenue tons.
Average cars per freight train: Calculated
by dividing loaded and empty car miles by
train miles.
Container: A large, weatherproof box
designed for shipping and/or transferring
freight between rail, truck or marine
modes. Specialized containers are equipped
with heating and cooling capabilities for
perishable products.
2011
Gross ton-miles (Gross tonne-kilometres):
The sum of ton-miles handled, calculated
using the total weight of the trailing
tonnage (both loaded and empty cars)
of the trains moved. It excludes the weight
of the locomotives pulling the trains.
34
Intermodal service: The movement of
trailers or containers by rail and at least
one other mode of transportation. Import
and export containers generally are shipped
via marine and rail. Domestic intermodal
service usually involves truck and rail.
Scheduled railroad: A railroad that handles
individual car movements according to a
specific plan where possible and manages
expectations to meet agreed upon
customer commitments.
Track operated: First main track only.
Excludes second and other main track,
passing tracks and crossovers, industrial
tracks, spurs and yard tracks.
Trip plan: A detailed chain of train
handling events describing car handling
from shipper’s door to consignee’s door.
Trip plans are expressed in hours and are
tailored for each specific customer location.
Unit train: A train with a fixed, coupled
consist of cars operated continuously in
shuttle service under load from origin and
delivered intact at destination and returning
usually for reloading at the same origin.
CONVERSION FACTORS
miles to kilometres
1.6093
On-time performance: The ability to meet
customer requirements as to pick-up and
delivery schedules.
tons (short) to metric tonnes
0.9072
gallons to litres
4.5461
Reload centre: A transfer facility enabling
the railway to expand market share
through truck-to-rail service.
revenue ton-miles to
revenue tonne-kilometres
1.4599
kilometres to miles
0.6214
Revenue ton-miles (Revenue tonnekilometres): The sum of ton-miles
handled, calculated using the total weight
of the commodities in the cars of the trains
moved. It excludes the ton-miles involved
in the movement of railway materials or
any other non-revenue movement.
metric tonnes to tons (short)
1.1023
litres to gallons
0.2200
revenue tonne-kilometres
to revenue ton-miles
0.6850