WORLD TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION

This paper is based on a pool of statistical data on railway electrification around the world. About 25% of world railways are electrified, with electrified lines responsible for about 50% of railway traffic. The average volume of freight carried by electric trains is threefold that carried by diesel trains. Electrification is greatest in Western, Central and Eastern Europe (45.7%), followed by the CIS (24.3%), and SW and SE Asia (20%). Only 1.7% of railway track is electrified in the American continent. The high proportion of passenger rail transport explains high rates of electrification in Western Europe. Electrified lines are faster and have less impact on the environment. Alternating current is used in 55.6% of systems and direct current in 41.8% of systems. More detailed data are given for electrified railways in Russia, the CIS, Italy and South Africa. The advantages and disadvantages of electrification are listed. It is considered that over a critical freight traffic volume, electrification is the most technically and economically efficient option, particularly with the use of alternating current.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Railway Congress Association

  17-21 rue de Louvrain
  1000 Brussels,   Belgium 
• Authors:
  • KOTELNIKOV, A
  • GLONTI, A
• Publication Date: 2001

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 26-35
• Serial:
  • RAIL INTERNATIONAL
  • Volume: 32

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Economics; Electricity; Freight transportation; Passenger transportation; Railroad transportation; Statistics
• Identifier Terms: Commonwealth of Independent States
• Geographic Terms: Europe; Former Soviet Union; Italy; Russia (Federation); South Africa; South America; United States
• ITRD Terms: 8157: Commonwealth of Independent States; 226: Cost benefit analysis; 255: Economics; 6954: Electricity; 8034: Europe; 1112: Freight transport; 8051: Italy; 1146: Passenger transport; 1173: Rail bound transport; 8156: Russia; 8103: South Africa; 8104: South America; 6555: Statistics; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Economics; Freight Transportation; Passenger Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00818936
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Nov 7 2001 12:00AM