Railway Association of Canada Reports Solid Sector Performance
Canadian Rail Continues to Invest in Environment, Safety and Innovation
(firmenpresse) - OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/27/11 -- Canada's rail sector has bounced back from the 2009 global economic downturn posting solid volume growth. The industry has also continued to invest significantly in increased capacity and efficiencies. The findings are outlined in Rail Trends 2011, an annual compendium of statistics and comment about rail sector performance published by the Railway Association of Canada.
"Our sector's three percent growth in cumulative volume of carloads through the first three quarters of 2011 from the same point last year reflects improved economic conditions and the greater responsiveness and service performance of Canada's transportation supply chain backbone," said Railway Association of Canada President and CEO, Cliff Mackay.
Investments in Innovation for the Environment, Safety and Service
For the past 175 years the Canadian rail sector has been driven by innovation as much as it has been first by steam and now diesel. Through significant investment, renewal and innovation, Canadian railways have modernized to meet capacity demands and increased their flexibility and efficiency to adapt to changing operating challenges in a highly competitive environment that is impacted by a shifting global economic climate.
The most capital intensive sector in the economy, rail invested $1.7 billion in Canada in 2010, up $181 million or 11.9 per cent year-over-year. Expenditures ranged from the replacement of rail, ties and other track materials, improving bridges, purchasing and re-building rolling stock, to investments in information technology systems to deliver better services, improve safety and operating efficiencies.
To further leverage its environmental advantage, operators invested in the purchase of new, line-haul locomotives that meet the EPA Tier 2 emissions standard, the recertification of high-horsepower locomotives to the EPA Tier 0 standard upon remanufacture and the retirement of medium-horsepower locomotives manufactured between 1973 and 1999. Additional initiatives to reduce fuel consumption, increase productivity and improve customer service include the acquisition of additional higher-capacity freight cars and lower-weight aluminum gondola units.
In total, these fuel-efficiency initiatives have contributed to significant fuel savings and reduced GHGs. While freight workload grew 8.5 per cent, the number of intercity passengers expanded 8.9 per cent and commuter trains transported 42.9 per cent more commuters over the past decade, fuel consumption increased only 1.4 per cent.
Rail also continued to collect dividends on investments made in public safety awareness, crossing closures and technology initiatives. The number of accidents based on the industry's workload decreased from 2.8 in 2009 to 2.6 in 2010, while the number of accidents recorded dropped 27.8 per cent over the past five years.
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.
Growing to Move People, Goods and the Economy
A reflection of the recovering economy, operating revenue increased $1.2 billion or 12.2 per cent, to $10.8 billion in 2010, the second highest on record. Freight revenue of $9.6 billion in 2010 exceeded 2009's freight revenue by $1.1 billion or 13.3 per cent. Revenue from intercity, rail commuter and tourist passenger services totalled $673 million in 2010 compared to $627 million in 2009, a $46 million or 7.3 per cent increase year-over-year.
Intercity passenger miles (kilometres) amounted to 877 million miles (1,412 million kilometres) in 2010, 1.9 per cent less than the year before and 9.1 per cent lower than a decade earlier. The average length of journey in 2010 was 204 miles (328 kilometres), almost unchanged from a year earlier.
"We have also accelerated our recruiting efforts to backfill a wave of soon-to-be baby boomer retirees," says Mackay. "The 3,500 people in Canada the sector has hired this year and the more than 10,000 new employees that will come on board over the next five years across the country will ensure rail strengthens its position as an important backbone and enabler of the Canadian economy. The rail sector anticipates modest economic growth in 2012 and with supporting rail traffic levels we are well poised to continue to move Canada's economy forward."
Canadian railways have recently signed a series of voluntary collaboration agreements with ports, terminal operators and individual rail customers, all focused on improving system performance and heightening Canada's competitiveness in world markets. Significantly, all agreements were commercially negotiated and pave the way towards even better service levels.
Canadian rail moves more than 70 per cent of surface goods on a tonne-per-mile basis and more than 70 million people each year producing only 3 per cent of the greenhouse gases created by the transport sector. To learn more about the Railway Association of Canada and to obtain a copy of Rail Trends, please visit .
About Railway Association of Canada
The Railway Association of Canada represents some 50 goods, tourist, commuter and intercity Rail businesses in Canada, their more than 35,000 employees and over 45 associate member suppliers and partners. RAC acts to inform officials, develop programs, policies and resources and respectfully communicate with the public and media to strengthen the role and capacity of Rail to deliver leading services that are economically viable, socially cohesive, future focused and environmentally sustainable.
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Contacts:
Railway Association of Canada
Paul Goyette
613-564-8192
Torchia Communications
Paul Vaillancourt III
514 996-6224 (cell)
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Datum: 27.12.2011 - 05:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
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