The Study for Environmental Effects of Railway Projects

Abstract

This study shows how to measure CO2 emissions caused by railways through the life span from construction to disposal. It is now common global concern that CO2 reduction is vital for conserving the global environment. Amidst this growing awareness railways have attracted significant attention as an environmentally-friendly transportation due to its low CO2 emission. But in many studies the amount of CO2 is calculated only during operation and doesn't include emissions during the phase of construction of related infrastructure and rolling stocks. Railway is not a truly environmentally-friendly transportation mode if it isn't proven to emit less compared with others during the whole life cycle. We hope this study will be helpful for selecting the best environmentally-friendly alternative for transportation projects.