a mile travelled by a passenger (used in travel statistics)
For example, doubling train length can double passenger miles, without killing anymore people.
passenger mile in American English
noun
a unit of measurement, consisting of one mile traveled by a passenger, that airlines, railroads, and other public transportation facilities use in recording volume of traffic
Also: passenger-mile
Derived forms
passenger mileage
Word origin
[1900–05]This word is first recorded in the period 1900–05. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: burnout, decompression, elder statesman, geopolitics, hydroplane
Examples of 'passenger mile' in a sentence
passenger mile
Its weight per passenger is lower than average, and so is its fuel consumption per passenger-mile.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Railway passenger miles have doubled in the 20 years since privatisation.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Domestic air travel (often cheaper than the train) reached six billion passenger-miles in 2002.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Traffic rose to 5.2 billion revenue passenger miles, from 4.76 billion a year ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The combined company would be the world's biggest airline, based on the total passenger-miles flown.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Only 6 per cent of the total distance travelled is by train but rail-passenger miles are growing four times faster thanroad traffic.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This would give 172 passenger-miles per gallon or 215 if the driver can be counted as a passenger.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Consolidated revenue passenger miles - or traffic - rose 11.1 per cent on a capacity increase of 7.7 per cent.
canada.com (2005)
But the reduction in passenger miles will be far smaller and large financial savings will be made.