THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER CARS IN OPERATION SINCE 1950; APPROXIMATELY 9.8% OF THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER CARS IN OPERATION IN 1950 WERE IN OPERATION IN 1977. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER-MILES AND SEAT-MILES TRAVELLED BY PASSENGER TRAINS.

HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THE PERCENTAGE OF PASSENGER-MILES TRAVELLED BY COMMUTATION AND
INTERCITY PASSENGERS. IN 1950, 84.3% OF ALL PASSENGER-MILES WERE INTERCITY TRAVEL, WHILE 15.7% WERE
COMMUTATION TRAVEL. BY 1977 THE PERCENTAGES HAD CHANGED TO 55.4% INTERCITY AND 44.6% COMMUTATION.
AT THE SAME TIME THE AVERAGE REVENUE PER PASSENGER-MILE HAS INCREASED BY 120% SINCE 1950.

THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CARS LOADED FOR CLASS I RAILROADS WITH 22.5% FEWER CARS

BEING LOADED IN 1976 THAN IN 1960. THE COAL COMMODITY GROUP ACCOUNTED FOR 20% OF ALL LOADED CARS IN 1976.

Source:

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1977 (98th edition) Washington, D.C., 1977, p. 650. (Taken from Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C., Cars of Revenue Freight Loaded, annual.)

Source: J. J. Geraghty et al., Water Atlas of the United States, Water Information Center, Inc., Port Washington, New York, May 1973.