This paper characterizes and compares energy consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced in the transport of freight by rail. Average generic values are often used in estimating the energy consumption of transport modes, but while average values can, with many limitations, be useful in trucks or aircraft, this is not the case on the railway, due to the enormous variability in this consumption. The variability of fuel consumption on the railway is due to the fact that trains are different from each other in size and types of traction (electric or diesel). Furthermore, railways also have important differences, due to the differing severity in profiles, the number of stops and speeds.

 

This study will demonstrate the variability mentioned, also will indicate which factors cause a variation in energy consumption and emissions of the different freight trains, which are the parameters that have a higher incidence and their order of magnitude.