Rethinking, Rebuilding America's Energy Efficient Railroads

June 26, 2007 – Vol.12 No.14

RETHINKING, REBUILDING AMERICA’S ENERGY EFFICIENT RAILROADS.

George Chilson, president of National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) said this in a statement: "In the near future, road and air congestion, worldwide competition for oil, and growing environmental concerns will make $4 a gallon gas seem cheap, today's traffic jams modest, and affordable flights a distant memory.”

“Modernizing our rail network through a public-private partnership in which the federal government takes the lead is one of the most effective things we can do today to ensure our quality of life tomorrow. The US is falling further behind the rest of the world in building a modern rail system. We know what is coming. We have an obligation to act now before it is too late."

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the NARP has developed a plan to rebuild and modernize the passenger and freight rail system in the United States. The plan includes a public/private partnership based around a grid and gateway network. The grid would be an expanded national passenger train network connecting all major metropolitan areas as well as airports and intercity rail. The gateways would be major terminals served by short- and medium-distance, higher frequency and higher speed rail services.

The NARP believes its plan could be built over a 40-year time span. The results of the effort would be a cut in greenhouse gas emissions (because of the energy efficiency of rail transport), relief of congestion on heavily traveled highways and a reduction in the dependence on oil as a transportation fuel. Further, a modernized rail system would give travelers, and freight, an alternative mode of transport.

The energy efficiency advantages for freight are stunning. According to the Freight Rail Works Campaign, freight trains move a ton of freight 423 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel. A freight train is more than three times as fuel efficient as a long haul truck.

Freight trains can also remove significant numbers of cars from the highways, easing congestion. A single intermodal train can remove 280 trucks from the highway, the equivalent of 1100 cars.

The Freight Rail Works Campaign is an effort of the American Association of Railroads to raise public awareness of the benefits and need for improvements to the nation’s railroads. Visit the campaign at http://www.freightrailworks.org/

The National Association of Railroad Passengers plan to revitalize railroads in the US is available at http://www.narprail.org/