10/2/2011 · The average rate per ton-mile (one ton of freight moved one mile) is just above 3 cents at the present time on U.S. Class 1 railroads. For the full year 2009, the average rate was 3.011 cents. Bulk commodities are well below that average, at about 2 cents per ton-mile, and high-value, high-service intermodal freight well above that average, at about 5 cents per ton-mile (or even more in some