DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States and Canada will work together to develop a common vision for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from locomotives, officials announced today at the United Nations COP28 conference.
The nations will create a Rail Decarbonization Task Force, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Canada Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez said in a joint statement.
“Together, we intend to: establish a joint research agenda to test the safe integration of emerging technologies, including hydrogen-powered and battery-electric locomotives; coordinate strategies to accelerate the rail sector’s safe transition from diesel-powered locomotives to zero-emission technologies to ensure a net-zero rail sector by no later than 2050; and collaborate on the development of a U.S.-Canada rail sector net-zero climate model by 2025,” they said.
The announcement did not include specifics on how much the countries will spend on research and development or whether they will involve railroads and locomotive manufacturers. Also not mentioned: The potential for electrification of freight or passenger main lines.
“The United States and Canada recognize we need to work together to fight climate change and decarbonize our integrated rail networks,” the secretaries and minister said. “This joint announcement demonstrates our shared dedication to working together to build a more sustainable and equitable future for all. We intend to engage national partners, international organizations and other countries to promote safe and sustainable rail transportation. The decarbonization of the rail sector is a crucial component of our global efforts to reduce emissions and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
Wabtec and ProgressRail are working on battery-electric and hydrogen-powered locomotives, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City and CSX have a partnership to produce low horsepower hydrogen fuel cell battery-electric locomotives.
U.S. freight railroads produce 1.7% of the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“The announcement did not include specifics on how much the countries will spend on research and development or whether they will involve railroads and locomotive manufacturers. Also not mentioned: The potential for electrification of freight or passenger main lines.”
With no SPECIFICS these announcement are just clap-trap designed to make the US representatives look like they are doing something. Zero emission are an impossibility. The manufacturing of the Hydrogen or Electrical current to supply electrification give off emissions. Why is that not taken into consideration.
What was the “Carbon Footprint” (output) from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, USDOT Transportation Secretary Pete (‘Mayor Pete’) Buttigieg, and Canadian Transport Minister Pablo Rodriquez traveling to the ‘G28 Summit’ in Dubai?
Better yet, what was the ‘Carbon Footprint’ for all of the politicians, UN bureaucrats, various emissaries, Royalty ( King Charles III of England flew there on his ‘private’ jet), Climate ‘Envoy’ Johnny Kerry, Vice President Harris, and other such assorted luminaries and elites just traveling to and from this global climate “emergency” gabfest?
Classic examples policy makers exempting themselves of the same policies they demand we must live under! “Do as I say, but NOT as I do!”
Rolls Royce just dropped their electric jet engine program saying SAF will meet all global standards for carbon in the foreseeable future..
Can SAF in a Tier 4 do the same?
They can and do work together.
At one time the US was the world leader in electric railroads with Pennsylvania, New York Central and other companies around New York City, N&W and Virginian in the mountain coal fields, Milwaukee and Northern Pacific in the west. Many places had electric interurban services. Diesels killed electrics almost as fast as steam. Maybe the time has come for North American railroads to embrace electrics again.
but couldn’t bio fuels for diesel locomotives work too and couldn’t diesel locomotives work together with battery powered and hydrogen powered locomotives ?
Even biofuels cannot get to ZERO emissions which is what all this is about. More could be done, yes, but the manufacture of most bio products require electrical power which must be generated. And even low sulfur or natural gas plants which still provide the majority of all electrical production are not nor ever will be zero emission without extreme cost making them non viable for these goals.
It was said that only 1.7 percent of transportation carbon foot print was by railroads. How about we go after the bigger producers (Trucks, cars, ships and planes) and consider that dropping 1.7% is already a very low and acceptable, as well as efficient percentage?