Rail System Electrification to Reach Net Zero
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
Electrification of rail transportation is one way to reduce greenhouse gases and meet the sustainability goals of regulators, rail industry members, manufacturers and customers. The call for rail electrification is spurred by growing interest in the reduction of emissions and mandates such as regulations passed in April 2023 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Advanced Clean Fleets regulation bans the sale of diesel-powered semi-trucks by 2036 and mandates all trucks in California to be zero-emission vehicles after 2042. It also requires that industrial and passenger trains built in or after 2030 operate in zero-emissions configurations while in California, and the same rule applies to freight line haulers starting in 2035.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric rail, which accounts for over 85% of passenger rail activity and 55% of freight movements globally, does not emit any direct CO2 emissions. Removing freight from individual trucks and passengers from vehicles on roads to trains is seen as a viable way to move to net zero emissions by 2050, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
Electrification is taking place in countries around the world, along with programs designed to use other sources of energy…
