Energy consumption, pollutant production, and dollar costs of diesel suburban commuter trains

Abstract

The results presented in this report are based on data obtained from Chicago's three largest diesel commuter railroads. Those aspects of their operations that relate to energy and pollution are described. Service characteristics, such as average occupancy and average trip distance, are presented. Energy consumption results are presented and discussed. With energy efficiency measured in passenger-miles per Btu, it is found that trips by diesel commuter train are 3.5 times more energy efficient than Chicago Central Area auto trips. The total trip from home to suburban station, then by train to a downtown terminal, is found to be 2.2 times more energy efficient than Chicago Central Area auto trips. Pollutant production rates are presented for five pollutants. For every pollutant except sulfur oxides, trains are found to be less polluting per passenger-mile than autos. Per passenger-mile pollutant emissions from trains are, overall, less damaging by a factor of 5.5 than the per passenger-mile emissions from autos. Travel on these diesel commuter trains is less costly to society than auto travel (1972 suburban-based autos). This is the case whether one compares the train trip alone with an auto trip or the home-to-suburb an-station-tlien-to-a-downtown-terminal trip with a home-to-downtown auto trip.