An optimization model of energy and transportation systems: Assessing the high-speed rail impacts in the United States

This paper presents a long-term investment planning model that co-optimizes infrastructure investments and operations across transportation and electric infrastructure systems for meeting the energy and transportation needs in the United States. The developed passenger transportation model is integrated within the modeling framework of a National Long-term Energy and Transportation Planning (NETPLAN) software, and the model is applied to investigate the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) investments on interstate passenger transportation portfolio, fuel and electricity consumption, and 40-year cost and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The results show that there are feasible scenarios under which significant HSR penetration can be achieved, leading to reasonable decrease in national long-term CO₂ emissions and costs. At higher HSR penetration of approximately 30% relative to no HSR in the portfolio promises a 40-year cost savings of up to $0.63 T, gasoline and jet fuel consumption reduction of up to 34% for interstate passenger trips, CO₂ emissions reduction by about 0.8 billion short tons, and increased resilience against petroleum price shocks. Additionally, sensitivity studies with respect to light-duty vehicle mode share reveal that in order to realize such long-term cost and emission benefits, a change in the passenger mode choice is essential to ensure higher ridership for HSR.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2015.03.007
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X15000868
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0968090X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Krishnan, Venkat
  • Kastrouni, Eirini
  • Pyrialakou, V Dimitra
  • Gkritza, Konstantina
  • McCalley, James D
• Publication Date: 2015-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 131-156
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies
  • Volume: 54
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0968-090X
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0968090X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; High speed rail; Life cycle analysis; Long range planning; Network analysis (Planning); Optimization; Passenger trains; Sustainable transportation; Transportation planning
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01560584
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 17 2015 1:56PM