Making meaningful comparisons between road and rail – substituting average energy consumption data for rail with empirical analysis

Abstract

Within the transport sector, modal shift towards more efficient and less polluting modes could be a key policy goal to help meet targets to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, making comparisons between modes is not necessarily straightforward. Average energy and emissions data are often relied upon, particularly for rail, which may not be applicable to a given context. Some UK train operating companies (TOCs) have recently fitted electricity meters to their trains, from which energy consumption data have been obtained. This has enabled an understanding to be gained of how energy consumption and related emissions are affected by a number of factors, including train and service type. Comparisons are made with existing data for road and rail. It is noted that although more specific data can be useful in informing policy and making some decisions, average data continue to play an important role when considering the overall picture.

Development and Comparison of Algorithms to Derive Vehicle Location from Speed Profile Data

“…The remainder of the paper used high-accuracy GPS to measure speed profiles of specific journeys precisely. By contrast, Pritchard et al [2] used intermittent GPS data points recorded as part of energy metering data to analyse energy consumption of train fleets on different routes. As noted above, part of the method involved matching the GPS data points with both GIS and timetable databases to identify individual train services.…”

“…There is a risk that large amounts of data are collected, but subsequent analysis does not take full advantage of the potential of the dataset. Pritchard et al [2] provided an illustrative example of this potential: a large set of energy metering data was combined with train timetables and geographical (GIS) databases of network topology in order to compare the energy consumption of fleets of trains on different routes. Although the overall average energy consumption figures from the initial dataset did have some value alone, the algorithms developed in this paper took advantage of the additional location information available to provide greater insight into the factors that influence energy consumption.…”

Sustainable Logistics Network Optimization From Dry Ports to Seaport: A Case Study From Pakistan

“…Data on average energy and emissions, especially for rail, are frequently used, but they may not be relevant in a given situation. Some UK train operators have recently equipped their trains with electricity meters from which data are collected for energy usage ( 13 ). This makes it possible to analyze how various conditions, including the train type and operation type, affect energy use and associated pollution.…”

“…Comparisons between road and rail are rendered for current records. While more precise data would help advise policy and certain decision making, the average data still plays a significant role in the overall picture ( 13 ).…”