Carbon Footprint of High Speed Rail

Many carbon footprint tools such as the two UIC tools, EcoTransIT and EcoPassenger1, help costumers choose the most environmental friendly way of transport, which in most cases is rail. Until now, these calculation tools have considered only the operation phase and energy provision, not the infrastructure (track system, motorways, airports) nor the construction of rolling stock, cars and aeroplanes. So, the question remains: Does the picture change if we also consider the CO2-emission from the construction of vehicles, and from construction? This study attempts to answer this question, by providing a carbon footprint analysis of four new high speed rail lines: “LGV Mediterranée” from Valence to Marseille and “South Europe Atlantic-Project” in France from Tours to Bordeaux, the newly built line from Taipei to Kaohsiung in Taiwan and “Beijing–Tianjin” in China.