Strategies for Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Rail Freight Service in Switzerland

This paper describes strategies for reducing energy use in Switzerland’s rail freight sector. The research was motivated by the Swiss government’s decision to phase out the use of nuclear energy. While rail freight is very energy efficient there remain significant possibilities for reducing energy use. This paper provides an overview of these opportunities by examining approaches for reducing energy use along the entire value chain of rail freight operation. For example, the energy efficiency of the infrastructure can be enhanced by making improvements to provide more train paths and enabling more freight to be transported over the same infrastructure. The rolling stock can be redesigned to reduce rolling resistance, optimize aerodynamic performance and reduce the weight of wagons. In the area of network design and scheduling it is possible to reduce deviations and unnecessary braking. Improved dispatching algorithms can be used to provide drivers with energy optimized trajectories and to help minimize the number of unplanned stops. All these measures will also improve the quality and reduce the costs of freight rail service, thus helping support additional modal shift from road to rail.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AR030 Railroad Operating Technologies.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20001
  • Authors:
    • Bruckmann, Dirk
    • Saeednia, Mahnam
    • Nash, Andrew
    • Weidmann, Ulrich
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2015

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References;
  • Pagination: 15p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01555229
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 15-1774
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Feb 26 2015 10:03AM