Freight and passenger rail rely almost exclusively on diesel power. The latest diesel innovations contribute to cleaner air and reaching climate goals.
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Similarly, in France, about 45% of the railway network is not electrified and there are more than 1,200 diesel trains. In India, which has the world's third largest railway network, 37% of the trains are pulled by diesel locomotives, Vaishnaw had told Rajya Sabha in December 2021. That's roughly 5,000 trains a day.
After decades of dominance, coal fired locomotives were slowly phased out and replaced with safer and more modern diesel and electric engines. Now, the last mainline steam locomotive has finally been phased out.
A train engine requires about a hundred litres of fuel to get it started. So it wouldn't be economical if the engine is stopped and started frequently. This apart, if the engine is stopped, the moving parts' lubrication will also come to a halt.
The life expectancy of diesel-electric and electric locomotives is expected to be similar—about 25 years. Both types of motive power are subject to technological obsolescence.
Mechanical transmission is the simplest type; it is mainly used in very low-power switching locomotives and in low-power diesel railcars. Basically it is a clutch and gearbox similar to those used in automobiles. A hydraulic coupling, in some cases, is used in place of a friction clutch.
One locomotive weighs about as much as 108 hipposTier 4 locomotives weigh a whopping 432,000 pounds — the same as 108 hippos weighing in at 4,000 pounds each. These 6-axle engines have 4,400 traction horsepower and can reach a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour pulling thousands of tons of freight.
If we take an overall view of the transport sector, 71% of transportation related carbon emissions come from road users, whereas only 1.8% of emissions stem from rail travel. So in absolute terms, trains are responsible for a lot less emissions than cars.
Even when switchyard locomotives are not moving trains, their diesel engines are usually kept running. This is done to charge batteries, warm engine fluids and meet other operational needs. This can amount to several thousand hours of idling per locomotive each year.
Engines may be left idling to maintain important safety related functions such as maintaining engine temperature, air pressure for the brake system, the integrity of the starting systems, the electrical system and providing heating or cooling to a train's crew and/or passengers.
The decision not to procure new diesel trains had already been made in 2020. As soon as trains have reached the end of their economic life, they are now to be replaced with battery trains. Trains that are theoretically still operational are to be used on non-electrified lines during the transition.
It found that passing trains carrying coal add on average 8 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) to ambient PM2.5 pollution. That is 2 to 3 ug/m3 more than freight trains contribute.