- •Foreword
- •Acknowledgements
- •Table of contents
- •Executive summary
- •Introduction
- •Purpose and scope
- •Structure of the report
- •Definitions
- •Classification of rail transport services
- •Key parameters
- •Data sources
- •References
- •1. Status of rail transport
- •Highlights
- •Introduction
- •Rail transport networks
- •Urban rail network
- •Conventional rail network for passenger and freight services
- •High-speed rail network
- •Rail transport activity
- •Passenger rail
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional and high-speed rail
- •Freight rail
- •What shapes rail transport?
- •Passenger rail
- •Freight rail
- •Rail transport and the energy sector
- •Energy demand from rail transport
- •Energy intensity of rail transport services
- •GHG emissions and local pollutants
- •Well-to-wheel GHG emissions in rail transport
- •Additional emissions: Looking at rail from a life-cycle perspective
- •High-speed rail
- •Urban rail
- •Freight rail
- •Conclusions
- •References
- •Introduction
- •Rail network developments
- •Rail transport activity
- •Passenger rail
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional and high-speed rail
- •Freight rail
- •Implications for energy demand
- •Implications for GHG emissions and local pollutants
- •Direct CO2 emissions
- •Well-to-wheel GHG emissions
- •Emissions of local pollutants
- •References
- •3. High Rail Scenario: Unlocking the Benefits of Rail
- •Highlights
- •Introduction
- •Motivations for increasing the role of rail transport
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional and high-speed rail
- •Freight rail
- •Trends in the High Rail Scenario
- •Main assumptions
- •Rail network developments in the High Rail Scenario
- •Rail transport activity
- •Passenger rail in the High Rail Scenario
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional and high-speed rail
- •Freight rail in the High Rail Scenario
- •Implications for energy demand
- •Implications for GHG emissions and local pollutants
- •Direct CO2 emissions in the High Rail Scenario
- •Well-to-wheel GHG emissions
- •Investment requirements in the High Rail Scenario
- •Fuel expenditure
- •Policy opportunities to promote rail
- •Passenger rail
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional and high-speed rail
- •Freight rail
- •Conclusions
- •4. Focus on India
- •Highlights
- •Introduction
- •Status of rail transport
- •Passenger rail
- •Urban rail
- •Conventional passenger rail
- •High-speed rail
- •Freight rail
- •Dedicated freight corridors
- •Rail transport energy demand and emissions
- •Energy demand from rail transport
- •GHG emissions and local pollutants
- •Outlook for rail to 2050
- •Outlook for rail in the Base Scenario
- •Context
- •Trends in the Base Scenario
- •Passenger rail
- •Freight rail
- •Implications for energy demand
- •Implications for GHG and local pollutant emissions
- •Outlook for rail in the High Rail Scenario
- •Key assumptions
- •Trends in the High Rail Scenario
- •Passenger and freight rail activity
- •Implications for energy demand
- •Implications for GHG and local pollutant emissions
- •Conclusions
- •References
- •Acronyms, abbreviations and units of measure
- •Acronyms and abbreviations
- •Units of measure
- •Glossary
IEA 2019. All rights reserved.
IEA 2019. All rights reserved. |
The Future of Rail |
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Opportunities for energy and the environment |
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Implications for GHG and local pollutant emissions
Following the significant increase in transport activity, total well-to-wheel GHG emissions from India’s transport sector as a whole increase steadily in the High Rail Scenario, reaching about 1.4 Gt CO2-eq in 2050, which marks approximately a 270% increase over 2017. Despite this, GHG
emissions are 18% lower (or 315 Mt CO2-eq) in 2050 than in the Base Scenario. This takes place
because the additional emissions from rail more than offset the decline in emissions from the Page | 159 other modes. In 2050, the increase in GHG emissions from rail is 34 Mt CO2-eq. This is more
than offset by reductions in light-duty vehicles (130 Mt CO2-eq) and trucks (180 Mt CO2-eq) (Figure 4.18). Action to cut emissions yet further is available across all transport modes, including increasing energy efficiency, scaling up low-emission technologies and measures to reduce road activity, but detailed analysis of such measure is beyond the scope of this report.
On the assumptions adopted about the pace of power sector decarbonisation, well-to-wheel GHG emissions from rail transport in the High Rail Scenario increase at a rate proportional to the increase of rail activity, from about 29 Mt CO2-eq in 2017 to 91 Mt CO2-eq in 2050, 34 Mt CO2-eq higher than in the Base Scenario (Figure 4.19). This level could be reduced. If the power sector were fully decarbonised by 2050, then switching to rail would be a zero-carbon transport option. The High Rail Scenario also achieves a further reduction of 6 kt, in PM2.5 emissions compared with the Base Scenario.
Figure 4.18 Well-to-wheel GHG emissions savings in India’s transport sector in the High Rail Scenario relative to the Base Scenario, 2030 and 2050
Change of WTW GHG emissions (Mt CO2-equivalent)
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Buses and minibuses |
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Aviation |
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Rail |
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Notes: Emissions related to shipping activities are not included. Emissions from rail include emissions from conventional rail (both passenger and freight), metro and high-speed rail. A positive number indicates that the WTW GHG emissions in the High Rail Scenario increase with respect to the Base Scenario, a negative number indicates that the emissions decrease.
Source: IEA (2018a).
Key message • GHG emissions from transport are 315 Mt CO2-eq lower in the High Rail Scenario by 2050.