The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is developing a work plan for achieving the industry's Climate VISION goal. AAR and its member companies will, with assistance from DOE and DOT, implement several actions to achieve the industry's Climate VISION goal. These actions are described in the following four elements:
Element 1: Emission measurement and reporting protocols
The method for measuring performance of the intensity of railroad related greenhouse gas emissions intensity is revenue ton-miles per gallon. This is the number of revenue ton-miles (RTM's) carried by Class I railroads divided by the gallons of diesel fuel needed to carry those revenue ton-miles. The 2002 baseline will be calculated based on data derived from the Surface Transportation Board's annual R-1 report, which individual railroads are required to submit each year. In 2002, the fuel efficiency was 404 RTM/gallon. Therefore, the rail industry is targeting achieving a fuel efficiency of 477 RTM/gallon by 2012.
Element 2: Identify/implement near-term, cost-effective opportunities
The rail industry on its own has improved fuel efficiency by 72% since 1980 and by 22% since 1990, and the railroads expect to continue to make strides in cutting their GHG emissions. Railroads are aggressively implementing innovative ways to save fuel by reducing locomotive idling, including the introduction of idling reduction technology that allows the main locomotive engine to be shut down when idling for long periods of time. Separately, railroads and their suppliers have cooperated to design locomotives that will have greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions. These efforts have resulted in recent years in the development of the higher horsepower DC and AC locomotives, which enable two new engines to do the work of three traditional units resulting in even greater fuel efficiency and lower pollution. Railroads are also improving operating practices to enhance asset utilization - a change that will further reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Railroads continue research in the area of rail lubrication, wheel profile, and advanced trucks at AAR's Transportation Technology Center, Inc. in Pueblo, CO. By lubricating the rail in curved and tangent (straight) track, the forces between the wheel and rail can be reduced significantly thereby improving energy efficiency. Both the wheel- rail and advanced railcar suspension research currently being completed are evaluating ways to make the wheel- rail interface more efficient.
Element 3: Develop cross-sector projects for reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity
Through the government-railroad industry partnership for developing methods for improving efficiency and reducing emissions, the railroads and the engine manufactures envision leveraging the work that has already been done in other transportation sectors, especially the highway sector.
Element 4: Accelerate investment in R&D and commercialization of advanced technology
The railroads and engine manufacturers are committed to working with DOE to perform research on locomotive emission reductions such as research on after-treatment devices, energy recovery, rolling resistance reduction, and aerodynamics. Because there are only 500-900 new locomotives purchased each year by railroads, there are limited dollars available for new technology research. Industry cannot fund by itself all the promising areas for research. A government-industry partnership is essential to the projected goal of achieving an 18% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity by 2012.
Page Last Modified: August 7, 2008
