International Journal of Highway Engineering (한국도로학회논문집)

Korean Society of Road Engineers (한국도로학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Does High-Speed Rail Have Superiority over Motorway in Terms of CO2 Emission?

고속철도는 고속도로에 비하여 저탄소 친환경적인가?

  • 강태석 (서울대학교 환경대학원 환경계획학과) ;
  • 장현호 (서울대학교 환경대학원 환경계획학과)
  • Received : 2016.02.25
  • Accepted : 2016.09.28
  • Published : 2016.10.17
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

PURPOSES : The aim of this article is to compare and identify eco-friendly competitiveness between (regional) motorway and high-speed rail(HSR) from the perspective of $CO_2$ emission in the Republic of Korea. METHODS : In order for an analysis of low-carbon competitiveness between the two modes, $CO_2e$ emission, $CO_2eppk$ (equivalent $CO_2$ gram per passenger kilometer), is employed as a comparison index. As for HSR, the index is calculated based on the passenger transport data and the gross of $CO_2e$ produced by Kyungbu high-speed line in 2013. Additionally, the gross of $CO_2e$ is computed by the greenhouse gas emission factors of domestic electricity generation mix. Regarding the index of motorway, it is directly calculated using both the official $CO_2e$ emission factor and the passenger-car occupancy of motorway. RESULTS : The results revealed, in the case of inter-regional transport, that the $CO_2e$ emission of displacement-based cars is 54.9% less than that of HSR, as the domestic electric power systems heavily relies on the thermal power plants over 66%. Note that internal combustion engines commonly used for vehicles are more energy-efficient than steam-driven turbines usually utilized for thermal power generation. CONCLUSIONS : It can be seen, at the very least in our study, that HSR has no superiority over motorway in the case of $CO_2e$ emission under the situations of domestic electricity generation mix. In addition, advanced eco-friendly vehicles have strong advantages over HSR. Therefore, all-out efforts should be made to develop and harvest renewable energy sources in order to achieve low-carbon HSR, sparing fossil fuels.

Keywords

References

  1. Akerman J., 2011. The role of high-speed rail in mitigating climate change - The Swedish case Europabanan from a life cycle perspective, Transportation Research Part D, 16, 208-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2010.12.004
  2. Campos J. and G. de Rus, 2009. Some stylized facts about high speed rail: A review of HSR experiences around the world, Transport Policy, 16(1), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2009.02.008
  3. Chang B. and A. Kendall, 2011. Life cycle greenhouse gas assessment of infrastructure construction for California's highspeed rail system, Transportation Research Part D, 16, 429-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2011.04.004
  4. Davies R. and L. Thompson, 2009. Energy consumption and $CO_2$ impacts of high speed rail: ATOC analysis for Greengauge 21. April.
  5. IAEA, 2006. A Guide of life-cycle GHG emissions from electric supply technologies.
  6. Janic M., 2003. High-speed rail and air passenger transport: a comparison of the operational environmental performance, Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit Part F, 217(4), 259-269. https://doi.org/10.1243/095440903322712865
  7. John P., 2009. The case for high speed rail: A review of recent evidence, Royal Automobile Club Foundation for Motoring.
  8. Kim, Byungkwan, J. Lee, H. Kim, J. Lee, 2014. An analysis of energy consumption and GHG emission per unit of rail and road transportation, Journal of the Korean Society for Railway, 17(3). 216-222. (김병관, 이진선, 김현구, 이재영, 2014.철도와 도로 수송부문 의 에너지 소비 및 온실가스 배출 원단위 분석, 한국철도 학회 논문집, 17(3), 216-222) https://doi.org/10.7782/JKSR.2014.17.3.216
  9. Korea Development Institute, 2008. Study on Modification and Supplementation of Standard Guideline for Preliminary Feasibility Studies for Roadway and Railway Projects. 5th ed., 278. (한국개발연구원, 2008. 도로.철도부문 사업의 예비타당성 조사 표준지침 수정.보완 연구(제5판), 278)
  10. Lee, Jaeyoung, Y. Kim, C. Lee, Y. Rhee, 2012. A study on the calculation of GHG emission for domestic railroad transport based on IPCC guideline, Journal of the Korean Society for Railway, 15(4), 408-412. (이재영, 김용기, 이철규, 이영호, 2014. IPCC 가이드라인을 이 용한 국내 철도수송에 따른 온실가스 배출량 산정에 관한 연구, 한국철도학회 논문집, 15(4), 408-412) https://doi.org/10.7782/JKSR.2012.15.4.408
  11. Miyoshi C. and M. Givoni, 2014. The environmental case for the high-speed train in the UK: Examining the London-Manchester route, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 8, 107-126.
  12. O'Toole R., 2008. High-speed rail: The wrong road for America, Policy Analysis No.625, The CATO Institute, Washington, D.C., October 31, 2008.
  13. Randall P. D., F. John, J. M. William, 2009. High speed rail(HSR) in the United States, CRC Report for Congress.
  14. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), 2006. 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, Vol.2.
  15. Todorovich P. and E. Burgess, 2013. High-speed rail and reducing oil dependence, Transport Beyond Oil, Island Press/Center for Resource Economics, 141-160.

Cited by

  1. A Carbon Footprint of High-Speed Railways in China: A Case Study of the Beijing-Shanghai Line pp.10881980, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12824