IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v367y2024ics030626192400727x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On the right track? Energy use, carbon emissions, and intensities of world rail transportation, 1840–2020

Author

Listed:
  • Tostes, Bernardo
  • Henriques, Sofia T.
  • Brockway, Paul E.
  • Heun, Matthew Kuperus
  • Domingos, Tiago
  • Sousa, Tânia

Abstract

The history of rail transport can offer valuable insights for future energy transitions due to its importance in promoting clean mobility. There is a complex interplay between the evolution of the railway network, fuel consumption, efficiency, energy service, and CO2 emissions that requires further exploration. We developed a dataset that covers energy use in all stages of rail transportation, as well as the length of track, energy service, and CO2 emissions at the world scale. To deal with missing data we utilized machine learning techniques for the first time in a historical energy reconstruction study. Our analysis reveals that for world rail transport (1) the final-to-useful efficiency has increased by 30-fold from 1840 to 2020, mainly due to the replacement of steam trains with diesel and electric ones, (2) the peak in final energy use occurred in the 1940s, while useful energy use and transport service continue to grow, (3) there was a reduction in the energy (carbon) intensity from approximately 20 to 0.2 MJ/tkm (2 to 0.02 kg CO2/tkm) between 1840 and 2010, due not only to the increase in final-to-useful efficiency but also to rising occupancy, better operating conditions, and reduced losses by the passive system.

Suggested Citation

  • Tostes, Bernardo & Henriques, Sofia T. & Brockway, Paul E. & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Domingos, Tiago & Sousa, Tânia, 2024. "On the right track? Energy use, carbon emissions, and intensities of world rail transportation, 1840–2020," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 367(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:367:y:2024:i:c:s030626192400727x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123344
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030626192400727X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123344?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Weisheng & Lin, Boqiang, 2021. "Electrification of rails in China: Its impact on energy conservation and emission reduction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    2. E. Andersson & U. Carlsson & P. Lukaszewicz & S. Leth, 2014. "On the environmental performance of a high-speed train," International Journal of Rail Transportation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 59-66, February.
    3. Serrenho, André Cabrera & Warr, Benjamin & Sousa, Tânia & Ayres, Robert U. & Domingos, Tiago, 2016. "Structure and dynamics of useful work along the agriculture-industry-services transition: Portugal from 1856 to 2009," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-21.
    4. Sousa, Tânia & Brockway, Paul E. & Cullen, Jonathan M. & Henriques, Sofia Teives & Miller, Jack & Serrenho, André Cabrera & Domingos, Tiago, 2017. "The Need for Robust, Consistent Methods in Societal Exergy Accounting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 11-21.
    5. Ayres, Robert U. & Ayres, Leslie W. & Pokrovsky, Vladimir, 2005. "On the efficiency of US electricity usage since 1900," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1092-1145.
    6. Ricardo P. Masini & Marcelo C. Medeiros & Eduardo F. Mendes, 2023. "Machine learning advances for time series forecasting," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 76-111, February.
    7. Paul E. Brockway & Anne Owen & Lina I. Brand-Correa & Lukas Hardt, 2019. "Estimation of global final-stage energy-return-on-investment for fossil fuels with comparison to renewable energy sources," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(7), pages 612-621, July.
    8. Jutta Bolt & Jan Luiten Zanden, 2014. "The Maddison Project: collaborative research on historical national accounts," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 67(3), pages 627-651, August.
    9. Herrera, Gabriel Paes & Constantino, Michel & Tabak, Benjamin Miranda & Pistori, Hemerson & Su, Jen-Je & Naranpanawa, Athula, 2019. "Long-term forecast of energy commodities price using machine learning," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 214-221.
    10. Albert Fishlow, 1966. "Productivity and Technological Change in the Railroad Sector, 1840–1910," NBER Chapters, in: Output, Employment, and Productivity in the United States after 1800, pages 583-646, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Ayres, Robert U & Ayres, Leslie W & Warr, Benjamin, 2003. "Exergy, power and work in the US economy, 1900–1998," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 219-273.
    12. Mariana Oliveira & Luís Torgo & Vítor Santos Costa, 2021. "Evaluation Procedures for Forecasting with Spatiotemporal Data," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-27, March.
    13. Pinto, Ricardo & Henriques, Sofia T. & Brockway, Paul E. & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Sousa, Tânia, 2023. "The rise and stall of world electricity efficiency:1900–2017, results and insights for the renewables transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Owen, Anne & Brockway, Paul E., 2018. "A physical supply-use table framework for energy analysis on the energy conversion chain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 1134-1162.
    2. Pinto, Ricardo & Henriques, Sofia T. & Brockway, Paul E. & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Sousa, Tânia, 2023. "The rise and stall of world electricity efficiency:1900–2017, results and insights for the renewables transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    3. Jadhao, Sachin B. & Pandit, Aniruddha B. & Bakshi, Bhavik R., 2017. "The evolving metabolism of a developing economy: India’s exergy flows over four decades," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 851-857.
    4. Laura Felício & Sofia T. Henriques & André Serrenho & Tiago Domingos & Tânia Sousa, 2019. "Insights from Past Trends in Exergy Efficiency and Carbon Intensity of Electricity: Portugal, 1900–2014," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, February.
    5. Zeus Guevara & Tânia Sousa & Tiago Domingos, 2016. "Insights on Energy Transitions in Mexico from the Analysis of Useful Exergy 1971–2009," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-29, June.
    6. Victor Court, 2019. "An Estimation of Different Minimum Exergy Return Ratios Required for Society," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 1-13, September.
    7. Serrenho, André Cabrera & Warr, Benjamin & Sousa, Tânia & Ayres, Robert U. & Domingos, Tiago, 2016. "Structure and dynamics of useful work along the agriculture-industry-services transition: Portugal from 1856 to 2009," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-21.
    8. Sousa, Tânia & Brockway, Paul E. & Cullen, Jonathan M. & Henriques, Sofia Teives & Miller, Jack & Serrenho, André Cabrera & Domingos, Tiago, 2017. "The Need for Robust, Consistent Methods in Societal Exergy Accounting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 11-21.
    9. Marco Vittorio Ecclesia & João Santos & Paul E. Brockway & Tiago Domingos, 2022. "A Comprehensive Societal Energy Return on Investment Study of Portugal Reveals a Low but Stable Value," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-22, May.
    10. Miguel Palma & Tânia Sousa & Zeus Guevara, 2016. "How Much Detail Should We Use to Compute Societal Aggregated Exergy Efficiencies?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-13, May.
    11. Matthew Kuperus Heun & Zeke Marshall & Emmanuel Aramendia & Paul E. Brockway, 2020. "The Energy and Exergy of Light with Application to Societal Exergy Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-24, October.
    12. Paul Steenwyk & Matthew Kuperus Heun & Paul Brockway & Tânia Sousa & Sofia Henriques, 2022. "The Contributions of Muscle and Machine Work to Land and Labor Productivity in World Agriculture Since 1800," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 1-17, June.
    13. Serrenho, André Cabrera & Sousa, Tânia & Warr, Benjamin & Ayres, Robert U. & Domingos, Tiago, 2014. "Decomposition of useful work intensity: The EU (European Union)-15 countries from 1960 to 2009," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 704-715.
    14. Santos, João & Borges, Afonso S. & Domingos, Tiago, 2021. "Exploring the links between total factor productivity and energy efficiency: Portugal, 1960–2014," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    15. Aramendia, Emmanuel & Heun, Matthew K. & Brockway, Paul E. & Taylor, Peter G., 2022. "Developing a Multi-Regional Physical Supply Use Table framework to improve the accuracy and reliability of energy analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    16. Warr, Benjamin & Schandl, Heinz & Ayres, Robert U., 2008. "Long term trends in resource exergy consumption and useful work supplies in the UK, 1900 to 2000," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 126-140, December.
    17. Warr, Benjamin & Ayres, Robert & Eisenmenger, Nina & Krausmann, Fridolin & Schandl, Heinz, 2010. "Energy use and economic development: A comparative analysis of useful work supply in Austria, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US during 100Â years of economic growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1904-1917, August.
    18. Moe, Espen, 2010. "Energy, industry and politics: Energy, vested interests, and long-term economic growth and development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 1730-1740.
    19. Ayres, Robert U., 2008. "Sustainability economics: Where do we stand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 281-310, September.
    20. Paoli, Leonardo & Cullen, Jonathan, 2020. "Technical limits for energy conversion efficiency," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:367:y:2024:i:c:s030626192400727x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.