Are high-speed electric trains less energy efficient than the old diesels?
While the Association of Train Operating Companies estimates that the average electric train emits about a third less CO2 than the average diesel, other research suggests that emissions from high-speed electric trains are going off the rails. According to Chris Goodall, author of How to Live a Low-Carbon Life, high-speed trains can emit 30% more CO2 than diesels. So long as the longer routes are well subscribed, however, they remain more efficient than cars or planes. Read the BBC News article. A nearly empty rural bus or train can be as bad as a car in terms of emissions per passenger. A bus emits seven times more CO2 than a car per km. Detractors would argue therefore that the bus only becomes more efficient than a car when it is relatively full. That might have you reaching for the car keys, but adding a car journey to the same destination would add to emissions whereas another passenger on the bus would increase efficiency.
