Locomotive Emissions Monitoring Program - Railway Association of ...

Figure 10
Total Railway GHG Emissions
kilotonnes of CO 2 equivalent
7500
7,500
Total Rail
6500
6,500
Total Freight
5500
5,500 1990 91 92 93 94 1995 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 2005 06 07 08
Figure 11 shows the GHG emissions intensities trend line for freight traffic which increased in 2008 to 18.05 kg
per 1,000 RTK from 17.75 in 2007 but decreased from 23.88 in 1990. The yearly values are listed in Table 9. As
a percentage, the 2008 GHG emissions intensity for total freight was 1.7 per cent above 2007 and 23.3 per cent
below 1990 levels.
Figure 11
Total Freight GHG Emissions Intensity
kg of CO 2 equivalent / 1,000 RTK
30
30
23.3 per cent reduction since 1990
20
20
10
10 1990 91 92 93 94 1995 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 2005 06 07 08
The MOU signed on May 15, 2007, between the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), Environment Canada and Transport
Canada (attached as Appendix A) sets out targets to be achieved by 2010 for GHG emissions intensities by category of
railway line-haul operation. Vis-à-vis the 2010 target, Table 10 shows the emissions intensity levels for the years 2003
to 2008 for, respectively, Class I freight, Regional and Short Lines, Intercity Passenger and Commuter Rail. Except for
intercity passenger operations, the emissions reduction trend rose in 2008 vis-à-vis the 2010 target.
Table 10
GHG Emissions Intensities by Category of Operation
Railway Operation Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 Target
Class I Freight kg / 1,000 RTK 18.16 17.62 17.73 17.79 17.32 17.61 16.98
Regional and Short Lines kg / 1,000 RTK 17.81 18.59 17.46 15.10 15.21 15.80 15.38
Intercity Passenger kg / passenger-km 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.12
Commuter Passenger kg / passenger 1.82 1.89 1.87 1.74 1.71 1.74 1.46
The increase in GHG emissions intensities by the freight railways can be attributed to the 4.2 per cent decrease in
2008 RTK traffic over the 2007 level. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the Canadian economy contracted at an annualized
rate of 3.7 per cent, which had a direct negative impact on freight railway traffic. During that quarter, RTK traffic
declined 20 per cent on a year-over-year basis.
At the time that GHG emissions intensity targets in the MOU were negotiated, the assumption was that RTK traffic
would grow by 3.0 per cent during the course of the MOU. When freight railways experience growth in traffic and use
scheduled railway operations, they have the ability to run longer and heavier trains, thus improving GHG emissions
intensity levels. However, when RTK traffic declines, railways operate shorter and lighter trains, thus resulting in
19 LEM 2008