National Rail Plan Needed

Congress is pushing hard for expanding the use of renewable fuels and electric motors as if they are the panacea for creating a more sustainable nation, but what of improving our rail system?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, trains are more energy efficient than traveling by car, bus, or plane.

2003 data showing BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy consumed per passenger mile

2,717 Light rail 3,374 Amtrak 3,549 Passenger vehicles: 3,587 Air carriers

If we fill the seats of trains more consistently, then they become even more efficient. The amount of research dollars invested in improving train engines is probably a fraction of what is spent on autos, so I bet there is a higher ceiling for improving trains even more. Despite this superior efficiency, we in the U.S. have done almost nothing to support train travel. It is time for a national policy develop regional train systems so that they can serve commuters, sustainability, and business most effectively. The federal government subsidizes ethanol and hybrid vehicles to encourage energy efficiency, and trains deserve equal support.

The most significant drawbacks to train travel can be the price and time involved compared to the freedom of driving a car . But if we could somehow compensate the train lines for all of the emissions that aren't going into the air because of the cars that they replace, then a train ticket would become a relative bargain.

We have local taxes to support mass transportation, but does that factor into trains that cross state lines? Imagine the greenhouse gases saved if everyone who needed to get from New York to Boston or Portland to Seattle went by rail.

The time problem could be fixed partially by having more express trains and reducing the number of trains that stop every 5 minutes. Why stop a train for hundreds of riders for the one or two people that get off at a stop? Passenger who use low volume stops might have to wait longer for a train or take the bus, but they would still have access to public transit if we optimized the schedules for the greatest number of passengers. It is ridiculous that in some areas it takes twice as long to get somewhere by train as it does by car.

We could take a page from the European book on this and install more of the faster modern trains, especially in high population areas (such as the Northeast corridor or San Francisco to Sacramento).

I was prompted to write about trains and energy efficiency after reading about a new oxidation catalyst that substantially reduces the emissions from diesel trains. The technology is being tested by Union Pacific, and initial tests show it can reduce particulate emissions by 50 percent, unburned hydrocarbons by 38 percent, and carbon monoxide by 82 percent. Wow. If trains didn't smell bad, would more people ride them? Maybe.

I took the train from Philadelphia to New York hundreds of times, and despite the odor, it was the cheapest and most convenient way to get between cities. I'm amazed that so many people fly between those cities because the time involved in security and deplaning makes a direct train trip a faster commute.

Reducing emissions and the cost of transportation is a national issue, and the federal government should coordinate the regional efforts. Let's identify the best routes for getting the most cars off the highway, and the most cost-efficient way of doing so. We can blame Amtrak but the opportunity is bigger than they are and should be met on a national level. If it can be made cost effective to transport riders across country borders in Europe, we should be able to do it here. However, one of the mitigating factors is the price of fuel, which is much higher in Europe than here, but that's an entirely different discussion.

Train ridership is up in Chicago, and other areas, which is an encouraging development. Trains also sustain us by allowing us to relax or be productive as needed. Read a book, talk to a stranger, nap, look out the window, or go online with a free WiFi connection, and you'll be much better off than dealing with road rage and toll booths.