Caltrain, a California commuter rail service, achieved a reduction in carcinogenic emissions by 89% within a few weeks after switching to electric trains on the segment between San Francisco and San Jose. This is comparable to the results of decades of strict environmental regulations.
In addition, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley estimated that this could prevent up to 330 and 51 cancer cases per million among railway employees and passengers, respectively.
In the EU, greenhouse gas emissions from rail transport have decreased by 70% over 30 years. Long-term studies also show that switching from diesel and electric locomotives increased the energy efficiency of railways by a factor of 30.
In the United States, less than 1% of the rail network is electrified. The reasons include high costs, the predominance of privately owned railways, and the lack of a unified national strategy. For comparison: Switzerland has a fully electrified network, India has 97%, and Russia has more than 50%.
Source: ScienceDaily
