MRF 2020/12

		Monthly Railroad
		Fuel Price Indexes
Prices through December 2020
Index 7/15/90 = 100
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Jan	Apr	Jul	Oct	Jan	Apr	Jul	Oct
2019				2020
Copyright 2021
Association of American Railroads
Policy and Economics Department				January 21, 2021
425 Third Street, SW, Suite 1000				www.aar.org
Washington, DC 20024					[e-mail]

AAR Monthly Railroad Fuel Price Indexes

Monthly Railroad Fuel Price Indexes

Data

• The price data, which include federal excise taxes, transportation, and handling expenses, represent the average monthly price paid for gallons purchased by freight railroads during each month.

Collection

• Railroad diesel fuel prices, which are kept confidential, are collected by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as sub‐components of railroad costs reflected in both the AAR's Railroad Cost Recovery Indexes (RCR) and the Surface Transportation Board's Rail Cost Adjustment Factor (RCAF).
• Because fuel prices are an input to the RCAF, the collection and computation of the monthly figures are subject to strict procedures which are reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board and a third‐party accounting firm.

Availability

• Index information for any given month becomes available during the final 10 days of the subsequent month. From the AAR web site: (1) Click DATA CENTER (upper right); (2) click Rail Cost Indexes (left side); (3) scroll down to Index of Monthly Railroad Fuel Prices (MRF); (4) click the

blue box under the header.
The AAR's web address is:	https://www.aar.org/

•

•

Monthly fuel index information is not available on other than an industry‐wide basis.

The quarterly publication AAR Railroad Cost Indexes contains an annual version of the RCR in its Table A, and a quarterly version in its Table C. Each table has a U.S., East, and West version that also lists the Fuel Index (1977=100.0) individually. That quarterly publication is available as a PDF with a calendar‐year subscription.

• The STB's quarterly RCAF is submitted by the AAR to the STB on March 5, June 5, September 5, and December 5. The STB releases a decision on the submission 15 days later. The RCAF version of fuel is contained in the All‐Inclusive Index, and is a forecast. The Fuel Index component is on a 1980=100.0 basis. The RCAF is adjusted two quarters later for differences between the forecast and actual. The quarterly fuel component is U.S. only. RCAF submissions, and the STB's decisions, are posted on the AAR and STB web sites. The publication AAR Railroad Cost Indexes maintains a history of the RCAF and All‐Inclusive Index.

AAR Monthly Railroad Fuel Price Indexes

Index of Average U.S. Railroad Fuel Prices

			Index
		Jan 15, 1989 = 100.0	Jul 15, 1990 = 100.0
2018	January	410.9	412.6
	February	401.8	403.4
	March	396.7	398.4
	April	421.9	423.7
	May	452.2	454.1
	June	444.6	446.5
	July	442.2	444.0
	August	443.0	444.8
	September	457.4	459.3
	October	480.1	482.1
	November	432.9	434.7
	December	367.0	368.5
2019	January	358.2	359.7
	February	390.5	392.2
	March	408.6	410.3
	April	423.5	425.2
	May	430.0	431.8
	June	381.2	382.8
	July	390.6	392.3
	August	379.6	381.2
	September	390.9	392.5
	October	401.0	402.7
	November	401.4	403.1
	December	395.8	397.4
2020	January	384.8	386.4
	February	340.7	342.1
	March	266.5	267.6
	April	196.4	197.2
	May	185.5	186.2
	June	232.6	233.6
	July	257.8	258.9
	August	259.6	260.7
	September	244.7	245.7
	October	249.9	251.0
	November	266.2	267.3
	December	301.6	302.9

AAR Monthly Railroad Fuel Price Indexes