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Passenger Rail

Worldwide, rail travel is generally more efficient on a per-km basis than driving or aviation, though less than motorcoach buses. Diesel rail, such as Amtrak, tends to be less efficient, while electric rail, including high speed rail, tends to be more efficient.

Magnetic levitation (maglev) technology remains limited due to high cost. At the same speed, maglev is more efficient than conventional high speed rail due to avoidance of direct contact with the track, but air resistance lowers efficiency at higher speeds. More speculatively, if the Hyperloop system is brought to fruition, its energy needs are unknown but could exceed that of today's rail.

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Estimates are sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics 1 and Minn 2 for diesel rail; Minn 2 for electric rail; the BTS 1, EV World 3, and Minn 2 for high speed rail; Hoffrichter for hydrogen rail 4 (with and without regenerative braking), based on the diesel figures and assuming that hydrogen is produced through steam methane reforming of natural gas; EV World 3, MacKay 5, and Ziemke 6 for maglev; and Goeverden et al. 7 for the Hyperloop.

Hydrogen rail is most advantageous where it is cost-prohibitive to directly electrify tracks 4.

References

  1. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "Table 4-20: Energy Intensity of Passenger Modes (Btu per passenger-mile)". Accessed May 23, 2019. ↩ ↩2

  2. Minn, M. "Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis". Sustainability. February 2019. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. EV World Staff. "Japan Commits to World's Longest Maglev Train System". EV World. February 2013. ↩ ↩2

  4. Hoffrichter, A. "Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier for Railway Traction". A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of doctor of philosophy. April 2013. ↩ ↩2

  5. MacKay, D. "Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air". UIT Cambridge, ISBN 978-0-9544529-3-3. Available free online from www.withouthotair.com. 2008. ↩

  6. Ziemke, D. "Comparison of High-Speed Rail Systems in the United States". Thesis, Master of Science in Civil Engineering in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. December 2010. ↩

  7. Goeverden, K., Janic, M., Milakis, D. "Is Hyperloop helpful in relieving the environmental burden of long-distance travel?". Proceedings of the International Conference: Transport, Climate Change and Clean Air. June 2018. ↩