The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has released the 2011 Edition of Railroad Facts - the premier rail industry statistical reference book. The publication notes that in 2010 rail traffic began to recover from recession-related decreases of 2009, which helped railroads bring equipment back into service and hire employees. Despite revenues below 2008 record levels, capital expenditures for the Class I railroads totaled $9.8bn, as railroads continued to spend private capital to expand infrastructure and purchase equipment.

Railroad Facts contains more than 80 pages of facts and statistics for 2010, as well as historical data on critical aspects of railroad business, including: finance, operations, plant and equipment, employment and compensation, fuel consumption and costs. Railroad Facts also contains a profile of each major U.S. Class I railroad, Amtrak, major Canadian railroads, and large Mexican railways.

Copies of the publication can be purchased online at Association of American Railroads, where it can be found at Statistics & Publications - Publications - Online catalog for $5 for AAR members, and $20 for non-AAR members.

Source: Association of American Railroads