A not-so-green choice? The high carbon footprint of long-distance passenger rail travel in Canada

Abstract

It is commonly assumed that taking the train serves as a more climate-friendly means of travel than flying by commercial aircraft. Nevertheless, in Canada, long-distance rail services are powered by aging and inefficient diesel locomotives. Moreover, long-haul passenger trains are not typically loaded to capacity, and they must travel longer distances than equivalent air routes (which are able to benefit from more direct flight paths). This viewpoint considers whether traveling long-distance by train generates a larger climatic footprint than flying by commercial aircraft, and offers a basic carbon footprint analysis and modal comparison of three long-distance routes in Canada. It finds that taking the train does indeed generate a larger climatic impact than flying, in the cases of VIA Rail's trips between Toronto and Vancouver and between Montreal and Halifax, even when taking air travel's additional non-CO 2 warming impact into account. While travelling by train within the modernized Quebec City-Windsor Corridor generates a smaller climatic footprint than flying, VIA Rail's greenhouse gas emissions factor within the Corridor is still far higher than international rail comparisons. The viewpoint concludes by enumerating some policy changes which could reverse this dynamic and help Canadian long-distance rail fulfill its reputation as a green choice.