Rail transport is one of the most energy efficient modes of transport, contributing less than three percent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions – and according to the Australian Rail Association, that includes passenger and freight trains. So how have trains managed to reduce emissions more than their road transport counterparts?

This post is part of our cleaner diesel series, looking at how clean, filtered diesel fuel can enhance productivity and diesel engine performance across a wide range of transport industries including aviation, mining, trucking and agriculture.

One of the main reasons for rail transport’s low emissions is due to Australia’s high frequency city rail networks running on electricity. Electric trains are highly efficient for a couple of reasons, one of which is ‘regenerative braking’ – a method electric trains can use to actually generate their own electricity.  Electrical energy can be stored on the grid by reversing the electric current and electric trains can generate electricity when they’re braking – which is why it’s called regenerative braking. Another reason electric trains are more efficient is due to the difference in power delivery systems between a diesel engine and an electric drive shaft. An electric drive shaft uses consistent uniform electromagnetic forces whereas the traditional diesel engine relies on hundreds of individual moving parts that include pistons, rods, and valves – stopping and starting.

So if our city trains are all using highly efficient electricity, it really is the country’s vast network of freight trains that are largely responsible for that three percent of greenhouse gas emissions. While rail transport also uses cleaner diesel, the relatively low emissions from trains using diesel fuel is due to the way trains move. Once trains (regardless of whether they are using diesel fuel or electricity) reach their travelling speed, they do not need to stop frequently. This applies particularly for freight trains, which unlike their commuter cousins, have lots less stations. Generally a freight train is travelling from point A to point B – in a straight line. This is another reasons trains win over trucks in the efficiency race. Trains are able to travel in straight lines for much longer than road transport can. And, finally there’s the efficiency of steel wheels on rails instead of rubber tyres of a variety of different surfaces – which takes considerably more energy.

When used in rail transport, fuel quality is as important as ever. Due to the long-distance nature of rail freight transport across remote parts of the country, unscheduled stops for maintenance or repairs can severely impact every part of the supply chain. The reputation of rail’s reliability depends on freight trains engines running smoothly and to schedule. The best way to ensure a diesel engine’s premium performance is to remove any potential contaminants from the fuel supply, by using Final Filtered Diesel.^® Diesel fuel cleanliness is as much an issue for Rail as for any other industry, with the same contaminants effecting diesel engine components in the same way:

• Clogged intake valves
• Premature wear and tear on engine components
• Reduced air flow
• Reduced engine power and performance

Bulk Fuel Australia’s Final Filtered Diesel^® uses a fine micron particle filter to remove contaminants before they enter the fuel tank. Using cleaner diesel fuel and filtering diesel are two ways to prolong the life of your engine and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of which mode of transport you’re using – rail, road, air or marine. For more information on the benefits of final filtered fuel for your fleet of vehicles or equipment, contact us. Call 1300 57 9990

There is just one more post to go in our cleaner diesel series and we’ve saved the most critical use of diesel fuel for last. Join us next time as we look at the long-standing advantages of using diesel fuel for power generation.