Rail
Urban and high-speed rail infrastructures have scaled up rapidly over the past decade, laying the foundation for convenient, low-emissions transport within and between cities.
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Urban rail networks such as metro and light rail can have significantly lower emissions than other motorised urban transport modes, especially private cars.
On a “well-to-wheels” (wing/wake) basis, rail emissions per passenger kilometre are currently on average around one-sixth those of air travel. Emissions from electrified passenger rail are even lower, particularly when powered by renewables or nuclear power.
The low energy and CO2 intensities of rail transport make promoting rail a promising strategy to diversify energy sources and reduce emissions. However, like all other transport infrastructure, rail investment is expensive. High passenger or freight throughput (i.e. high infrastructure utilisation) is necessary for a rail construction project to pay off, both economically and environmentally.
In contexts where rail makes sense, shifting passenger and freight services from more intensive modes such as cars, trucks and airplanes can substantially reduce net energy use and emissions and make global climate commitments more achievable. Furthermore, as many conventional rail services and essentially all urban and high-speed rail networks are electric, rail can help diversify transport away from reliance on oil.
Although rail is already the most electrified transport subsector, now all new tracks on high-throughput corridors will have to be electric to achieve the Net Zero pathway. On rail lines where throughput is too low to make electrification economically viable, hydrogen or battery electric trains coupled with partial track electrification and well-located charging points will need to replace diesel trains.
On a “well-to-wheels” (wing/wake) basis, rail emissions per passenger kilometre are currently on average around one-sixth those of air travel. Emissions from electrified passenger rail are even lower, particularly when powered by renewables or nuclear power.
The low energy and CO2 intensities of rail transport make promoting rail a promising strategy to diversify energy sources and reduce emissions. However, like all other transport infrastructure, rail investment is expensive. High passenger or freight throughput (i.e. high infrastructure utilisation) is necessary for a rail construction project to pay off, both economically and environmentally.
In contexts where rail makes sense, shifting passenger and freight services from more intensive modes such as cars, trucks and airplanes can substantially reduce net energy use and emissions and make global climate commitments more achievable. Furthermore, as many conventional rail services and essentially all urban and high-speed rail networks are electric, rail can help diversify transport away from reliance on oil.
Although rail is already the most electrified transport subsector, now all new tracks on high-throughput corridors will have to be electric to achieve the Net Zero pathway. On rail lines where throughput is too low to make electrification economically viable, hydrogen or battery electric trains coupled with partial track electrification and well-located charging points will need to replace diesel trains.
Last updated Oct 4, 2022
Key findings
Well-to-wheel (wake/wing) GHG intensity of motorised passenger transport modes
OpenRail is one of the most energy-efficient transport modes
From their peak in 2019, direct CO2 emissions from rail are not projected to increase beyond just over 100 Mt CO2. Over the past two decades, direct CO2 emissions from diesel rail operations increased through 2019 by less than 1% on average annually (electric rail, which accounts for about 80% of passenger rail activity and half of freight movements, does not release any direct CO2 emissions). To get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, emissions will need to decline by about 6% annually, a goal which requires the electrification of diesel operations wherever viable, as well as blending biodiesel and implementing a wide range of other efficiency measures.
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Analysis
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Rail
Subsector
More efforts needed
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The Future of Rail
Opportunities for energy and the environment
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Railway Handbook 2017
Produced in collaboration with the Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer
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Railway Handbook 2016
Produced in collaboration with the Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer
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Railway Handbook 2015
Produced in collaboration with the Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer
