21.11.2016, 16:59
A low-carbon future for India’s railways
OREANDA-NEWS Almost a third of rail transport today in India is powered by electricity Almost a third of rail transport today in India is powered by electricity.
Much has been made of the dawn of the age of electric vehicles, and the role that decarbonising passenger transport will play in meeting climate targets set out by the Paris Agreement. But in countries like India, rail transport still continues to play a central role in moving people and goods.
India has the highest passenger-rail activity in the world, reaching over 1 trillion passenger-kilometres in 2013 – seven times than in 1975. Freight activity has also expanded more than fivefold over the past 40 years. However this rapid growth of rail has also led to a rise in carbon emissions because of the sector’s reliance on diesel. About 10% of all CO2 emissions in India’s transportation sector come from railroads, which accounts for about 13% of all passenger travel and a third of freight transport.
IEA analysis developed in cooperation with the International Union of Railways has shown that rail transportation offers a more sustainable alternative to most other modes of transport both in terms of energy use and carbon emissions, and will continue to do so in the next decades.
Part of this is to the result of rising electrification. The use of coal, which powered locomotives for decades, has fallen dramatically since the late 20th century. In 2013, more than half of the rail sector ran on oil and a third on electricity. The story in India has been similar, with oil powering two thirds of rail activity, and electricity accounting for one third.
Given this promising role for rail in providing lower-carbon intensive transport for passengers and freight, a fifth of all government pledges to the Paris Agreement (known as Nationally Determined Contributions) include measures for carbon reductions in the railway sector. This is particularly important since a growing share of electricity in the rail sector comes from renewable sources. In 2013, that figure was around 9%.
Much has been made of the dawn of the age of electric vehicles, and the role that decarbonising passenger transport will play in meeting climate targets set out by the Paris Agreement. But in countries like India, rail transport still continues to play a central role in moving people and goods.
India has the highest passenger-rail activity in the world, reaching over 1 trillion passenger-kilometres in 2013 – seven times than in 1975. Freight activity has also expanded more than fivefold over the past 40 years. However this rapid growth of rail has also led to a rise in carbon emissions because of the sector’s reliance on diesel. About 10% of all CO2 emissions in India’s transportation sector come from railroads, which accounts for about 13% of all passenger travel and a third of freight transport.
IEA analysis developed in cooperation with the International Union of Railways has shown that rail transportation offers a more sustainable alternative to most other modes of transport both in terms of energy use and carbon emissions, and will continue to do so in the next decades.
Part of this is to the result of rising electrification. The use of coal, which powered locomotives for decades, has fallen dramatically since the late 20th century. In 2013, more than half of the rail sector ran on oil and a third on electricity. The story in India has been similar, with oil powering two thirds of rail activity, and electricity accounting for one third.
Given this promising role for rail in providing lower-carbon intensive transport for passengers and freight, a fifth of all government pledges to the Paris Agreement (known as Nationally Determined Contributions) include measures for carbon reductions in the railway sector. This is particularly important since a growing share of electricity in the rail sector comes from renewable sources. In 2013, that figure was around 9%.
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