Energy intensity, GHG and pollutant emissions of freight and passenger rail applications in the United States
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2025
Subject Area
place - north america, mode - rail, technology - emissions, planning - standards
Keywords
Diesel locomotive, emissions, energy intensity, freight rail, passenger rail, well-to-wheels
Abstract
This research establishes a baseline for the energy intensity and emissions of freight and passenger rail applications, focusing on diesel locomotives. We quantified the diesel energy intensity for freight rail (in Btu/revenue ton-mile), and both diesel and electric energy intensity for passenger rail (in Btu/passenger-mile) using publicly available data. Emissions of HC, CO, NOX, and PM emissions from diesel locomotives were analyzed based on real world emissions testing of in-use locomotives and compared to EPA standards. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from freight and passenger rails were compared to those from other transportation modes, including heavy-duty trucks, transit buses, and freight and passenger aircrafts, using a well-to-wheels (WTW) approach. Results show that freight rail powered by diesel engines produces lower WTW emissions when compared to competing freight transportation modes such as trucks and aviation. In contrast, passenger rail exhibits higher overall WTW emissions compared to other passenger transportation modes (e.g. cars, transit buses, aviation), and greater variability primarily due to the fluctuations in passenger load factors.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Taylor&Francis, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Siddique, C., Zhou, Y., Elgowainy, A., Alam, M. R., & Shurland, M. (2025). Energy intensity, GHG and pollutant emissions of freight and passenger rail applications in the United States. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 1-11.
