1.1 Precedents – prior ET coverage

• A back-of-the-envelope calculation of mine about the power demand of a high-speed train and an A340.
• A later follow-up, with comparable numbers calculated for litres of fuel per passenger-kilometre, assuming electricity for trains from petrol-burning power plants.
• Afew's Air Fare Blair diary.
• A discussion on cars vs. trains with focus on consumption.
• A previous collection of the above links, with a first review of one of the below named sources.

1.2 Precedents – the main source of the data below

All the data in tables below was extracted from the German Railways (DB) 2004 energy report [pdf!] and the 2006 sustainability report [pdf!] (the latter also includes modal split diagrams, showing growing trends for rail). Figures from the latter are also displayed on HTML pages on energy efficiency, energy consumption and climate protection [emissions].

I tried to check on some data, and it appears they used national statistics. The benefit of this data is that we can evaluate (almost) entire industry averages: the usual ad-hoc comparisons (say one Paris–Brussels TGV or one Frankfurt–London A320) may not be representative and usually ignore non-ideal consumption (e.g. waiting on the taxiway, snowstorm etc.).

There is some extra data I wrote up at a time, but am not sure from where, shall check.

2.1. Energy consumption – total, sources

Even just considering traffic, the meaning of the term 'energy consumption' is not straightforward. You can count the energy withdrawn from the catenary (electric locomotive) resp. the energy in the power output of a combustion engine (Diesels, cars). Or you could go back to the production of fuel, and take into account losses (power plant efficiency, grid loss, refinery loss & fuel transport). DB published evaluations of both of these measures.

Note that these figures include all operations necessary for railway traffic: beyond the trains themselves, the energy use of signals, stations, depots and such.

Most of this total is traction: about 130,000 TJ, stationary installations are only around 22,000 TJ. Of traction, the supply of electricity alone comes in at around 110,000 TJ.

As can be seen, fossil fuels still dominate in the mix. Given that practically all of traction and a good part of the fixed installations can be switched to electric, and we could move to renewables in electricity production, there is significant potential for reduction: both in the ratio of fossil fuels in primary energy, and the loss ratio from primary to end-use energy.

2.2. Energy consumption – railway branches

The specific figures in the first table should be seen as pretty solid indicators of magnitude.

On a smaller scale: a move away from fossil-fuel-generated electricity would significantly reduce the power plant part of primary-to-end-use loss accounted for here, so (check primary vs. end-use in 2.1) these figures could be reduced by up to 50%.

But the annual reduction shown is mostly an indicator of not this, but that there is some energy saving potential in technology and traffic organisation.

* including energy consumption in production, transport and transformation
** Database change compared to 2003, see www.db.de/umweltbericht

2.3. Energy consumption – comparison of transport modes

Now the following section is where one has to be very cautious about interpretation.

What follows is a translation of primary energy use into equivalent car fuel use. In effect, that means that we imagine a virtual oil-burning power plant to supply electric trains. But, not all of this is fossil-fuel-produced in reality, and the up to 50% reduction potential mentioned in the previous section also applies here.

I also note that airline traffic considered was domestic flights only. On one hand, reliable and country-for-country data exists only for that. On the other hand, given the typical transport distances of the other modes, that's also the sensible comparison.

Above, you see a change in the standard for truck comparison: instead of a big average, a number for heavy trucks, which should also be the most energy-efficient (even if worst for roads).

I add some more specific figures for local transport in Germany from another source, which has slightly different overall numbers. (I believe these are from 2005.)

• All local trains: 4.2
• Suburban trains [these are mostly electrified trainsets]: 3.8
• Regional trains [these include lots of diesels and locomotive-pulled]: 4.6
• Local (city) buses: 2.7
• Subways and trams: 1.7

Again I amend more specific figures from the above other source, and a third:

• express trains up to 160 km/h: 1.6
• express trains above 160 but below 250 km/h: 2.3
• high-speed trains above 250 km/h (includes less efficient ICE-1 and ICE-2; average occupancy was as low as 48%): 3.2
• ICE-3 (latest distributed-traction type) on Ingolstadt–Nuremberg (last-opened line): 2.75

I emphasize again that these aren't fossil fuel consumption but energy consumption figures; and that fossil fuel use that is a part of this, can be moved to other source by simultaneous reduction of even the energy figure.

3.1 CO2 emissions – uses and energy carriers

Total CO2 exhausts connected to stationary installations were 1.52 million tons in 2004 (and 1.58 million in 2003).

Again we see the strong domination of electricity, and that both for traction and stationary installations – and thus an even stronger further reduction potential than for energy use. Something not possible for airplanes or cars.

3.2 CO2 emissions – comparison between transport modes

I suspect the increase of airplane specific emissions has to do with increased air congestion, and possibly also a reduction of average domestic flight distance with the boom of low-budget airlines.

Combining data in three tables, one can calculate the 2004 total of CO2 emissions caused by running long-distance trains at 2.5 million tons.

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I shall use some of the above numbers for a calculation in the next part.

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