The railway is considered a more environmentally friendly transport mode regarding emissions. However, to meet the climate change targets, additional efforts have to be invested to make this kind of transport even more sustainable.
In this sense, a much wider electrification of railways is needed, i.e. equipping the railways with electrical power systems that allow trains to use electricity instead of traditional fuels such as coal and diesel. Electric trains are powered by power lines placed above the tracks or by a third rail located along the track.
Data published by Eurostat show that electrified railway lines have increased by around 30 per cent compared to 1990. More precisely, in 2022, the length of such railways in the EU countries was 115,000 kilometres, an increase of 88,000 kilometres in 2021.
If we consider that the total length of railways in 2022 was 202,000 kilometres, the share of electrified railways was over 55 per cent. The 2021 data show that Switzerland takes first place in the extent of railway electrification as almost all of its railroads are electric. Luxembourg was second and Belgium third.
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Electrification is a key way of modernizing the railway network in terms of environmental protection.
As reported by the media, other countries around the world are striving for the same goal, so for instance, India has set itself the goal of fully electrifying its heavy-duty railroads by 2025. We should also mention China, with a significant number of railways becoming electric.
Besides environmental benefits, railway speed can be improved in this way too. Although the focus here is on reducing air pollution, we should also mention noise pollution, which is particularly harmful to animals. Namely, the tracks often pass through nature and wild areas, and electrification would reduce the noise and vibrations produced by trains.
Katarina Vuinac
