All Thought Leadership

Success Factors: Rail vs Other Means of Transportation​

These are the identified rail transport success factors that make it the preferred mode of transportation of freight and passengers within a growing economy over other generally available modes of transportation​

Reduced ​Accidents​

Main Benefit in respect to Other Modes of Transportation​​

  • Railways may substantially reduce road casualties and the related costs
  • The cost of accidents is 50 times less for rail than road traffic, moreover the road traffic injury mortality rate is twice as high as the European average
  • Developing mass transit systems in urban areas could reduce such costs by mode transfer from road to rail

Reduced ​Air pollution / climate​ change​

Main Benefit in respect to Other Modes of Transportation​​​

  • Railways produce far less air pollution than other modes. Air pollution negatively impacts on health costs, crop losses and building damage
  • Rail diesel produces 50% more air pollution than electric rail although this is still significantly less than car, suggesting electric railways are better adapted to passenger traffic​
  • In non-urban areas, railways produces three times less air pollution costs than road freight and such gains could be valued in financing sources, using climate change funds​

Reduced ​Noise pollution​

Main Benefit in respect to Other Modes of Transportation​

  • Both passenger and freight railways produce less noise costs than road modes
  • Noise causes health costs and general annoyance for people who are exposed to it

Up- and down-stream​ processes​​

Main Benefit in respect to Other Modes of Transportation​

  • Up- and down-stream processes costs for railways greatly depend on electricity and fuel production costs. Such costs represent climate change effects and air pollution, derived from fuel and electricity pollution​
  • Because of the needs for large-scale electricity production and a mix of energy sources, the contribution to total external costs is higher for rail than for other modes. It is notable that waterborne freight transport can have the least impact​

Other​​​

Main Benefit in respect to Other Modes of Transportation​

  • Other impacts include nature and landscape costs, biodiversity losses, soil and water pollution recovery costs, and times losses for non-motorized users in urban areas
  • Overall, railways perform best in those categories than any other mode, except aviation​