The True Value of Rail - ARA Report - Essential Reading for All

[Jonno]

The true value of rail
by Rail Express — last modified Aug 10, 2011 10:45 AM

www.railexpress.com.au/archive/2011/august/august-10th-2011/other-top-stories/the-true-value-of-rail

A landmark study by Deloitte Access Economics, released today at the National Press Club, for the first time quantifies the economic, social and environmental benefits of rail investment in Australia.

In launching The True Value of Rail report, Lance Hockridge, chairman of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and chief exectuive of QR National, called for governments to address Australias transport challenges.

"The report provides a very telling commentary on the results of slow, sometimes misguided transport reform in this country over recent decades," Hockridge said.

"This manifests not only in extra cost and lost production but also in poorer outcomes for health, safety and liveability.

"The report details the true benefits of rail, compared to other transport modes, in alleviating congestion, reducing our carbon footprint and improving the health and well-being of Australians."

The report underlined that all relevant costs and benefits of each transport mode must be weighed up when making decisions on infrastructure investment.

According to ARA chief exectuive Bryan Nye The True Value of Rail report confirms that it is time to end Australias love affair with the car.

"Since 1985, governments have invested more than $293bn on roads. This has brought us many challenges and hidden costs such as traffic congestion, carbon emissions and road fatalities that impede our standard of living and the nations productivity," Nye said.

"Continuing our irresponsible spending on roads will lead us no-where. Governments must consider the true costs and benefits of each transport mode when making investment decisions and developing transport policies.

The study shows that:

• One passenger train takes 525 cars off the road. In one year, one trainload of passengers is equal to removing more than three million vehicle kilometres of traffic from our roads.
• One freight train in place of trucks between Melbourne and Brisbane reduces carbon emissions by the same amount as a household of three going without electricity for 46 years.
• One trainload of passengers travelling by rail instead of car for one year reduces accident costs by an amount that could fund 130 hospital visits, 505 hospital beds per day, or 6 doctors for one year.

According to  Nye, rail has much wider benefits than it receives acknowledgment for.

"If we are to genuinely realise these benefits, strong political leadership is essential. Our Governments need to consider the impacts of each transport mode when making investment decisions or developing transport policies," he said.

The True Value of Rail study was commissioned by the ARA to better inform the community and governments of the financial, social and environmental benefits that rail travel provides.

"We must take a truly national approach and recognise that state borders and regulations are no longer relevant. We must have a National Transport Plan, a plan that will allow each mode of transport to play to its strengths," Nye said.

"This is a challenging task but it must be done. We urge governments to step up and make bold long-term decisions for the nation. No more reviews, no more committees, just actions."

The report is available at www.ara.net.au

The AusRAIL PLUS edition of the Rail Express magazine, to be launched at the conference, will feature a detailed analysis of the True Value of Rail report.

www.ara.net.au/UserFiles/file/Media%20Releases/11-08-10%20Unlock%20billions%20each%20year%20in%20productivity%20-%20landmark%20report%20launched%20at%20Press%20Club.pdf

http://www.ara.net.au/site/publications_tvor.php - No report there yet.

[Jonno]

More interesting insights

Passenger transport:

• Road travel produces more than 40% more carbon pollution than rail travel per passenger kilometre.
• Road transport generates almost eight times the amount of accident costs as rail transport does.
• In the longer term, high speed rail provides the potential to alleviate pressures that will emerge to move people between major cities and along east coast corridors as Australia's population grows.

Urban passenger transport:

• An additional commuter journey by rail reduces congestion costs alone by between around $2 and $7.
• For every passenger journey made on rail rather than road in Australia's four largest cities, between $3 and $8.50 can be saved in congestion, safety and carbon emission costs.
• In Sydney, for example, if rail absorbed 30% of the forecast increase in urban travel then congestion, safety and carbon emission costs could be reduced by around $1 billion a year by 2025.

Interstate freight transport:

• Heavy vehicle road freight users do not face the full maintenance costs that they cause. Under-recovery of these costs has been estimated at between $7,000 and $10,500 per truck each year (Productivity Commission 2006 and NTC 2006). The National Transport Commission (NTC) has recommended changes which seek to address this issue.
• Freight moved between Melbourne and Brisbane by rail instead of road reduces carbon costs by around $56 per container and reduces accident costs by around $92 per container.
• Along the North-South freight corridor, for example, if rail was to achieve a 40% share of the market then savings, in terms of carbon pollution and accidents, would currently be around $300m a year or $630m a year by 2030.

Freight transport within urban centres:

• Along with the use of the mass transit of people, a greater use of rail for freight within, especially, Sydney and Melbourne will be needed to alleviate the increasing congestion on road networks. Environmental and safety benefits would also accrue.
• The NSW and Victorian Governments have recognised the need to develop more effective rail freight services within their cities and have set targets accordingly. These goals aim to ease congestion on arterial roads and improve use of existing rail infrastructure and port land.

[Jonno]

Note

These estimates are based on congestion, accident and carbon emission costs and so benefits from social inclusion, reduced infrastructure maintenance costs and fuel security could also be added

[ozbob]

More rail, it is a ....   NO BRAINER!  

[dwb]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/trains-taking-trucks-cars-off-the-road-20110810-1imwd.html

Trains taking trucks, cars off the road
Clay Lucas
August 11, 2011
Comments 14
THE average freight train takes 110 trucks off the road, new economic research shows.

And one passenger train removes 525 cars from the road, says a study, by Deloitte Access Economics for the Australasian Railway Association.

The study says a road congestion charge and a per-tonne charge on trucks should one day apply across Australia.


It says that over 2008, local, state and federal governments spent a combined $12 billion on road projects, compared with about $2 billion on railway construction.

The researchers found that for every trip made by rail and not by road, there was a reduction in costs to society of between $3 and $8.50.

The association's chief executive, Brian Nye, said Australia had to end its ''love affair with cars'' and recognise the benefits of its railways.

The trucking industry questioned some of the study's claims and queried whether the rail industry's green credentials stood up to scrutiny.

The head of the Australian Trucking Association, Stuart St Clair, said the average age of Australian freight locomotives - 36 years - meant they were ultimately more polluting than new trucks, which had had strict emissions controls since 1995.

[mufreight]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/trains-taking-trucks-cars-off-the-road-20110810-1imwd.html

Trains taking trucks, cars off the road
Clay Lucas
August 11, 2011
Comments 14
THE average freight train takes 110 trucks off the road, new economic research shows.

And one passenger train removes 525 cars from the road, says a study, by Deloitte Access Economics for the Australasian Railway Association.

The study says a road congestion charge and a per-tonne charge on trucks should one day apply across Australia.


It says that over 2008, local, state and federal governments spent a combined $12 billion on road projects, compared with about $2 billion on railway construction.

The researchers found that for every trip made by rail and not by road, there was a reduction in costs to society of between $3 and $8.50.

The association's chief executive, Brian Nye, said Australia had to end its ''love affair with cars'' and recognise the benefits of its railways.

The trucking industry questioned some of the study's claims and queried whether the rail industry's green credentials stood up to scrutiny.

The head of the Australian Trucking Association, Stuart St Clair, said the average age of Australian freight locomotives - 36 years - meant they were ultimately more polluting than new trucks, which had had strict emissions controls since 1995.

Even allowing for the older age of the locomotives in use a train using two of these older locomotives has lower emissions than the combined emissions of 110 of the least poluting of the most modern trucks.
Added to this many of the older locomotives are being upgraded to increase power output and lower emissions the 2300 class which first entered service as 1550 class  in 1972 and 2400 class which first entered service in 1978, the upgrades (rebuilds) on these locos which were carried out as late as mid 2002 effectively making then new locos in the year of their rebuilds so they are effectively now only 9 years old, being one instance and QRN are currently carrying out a program of upgrading the fuel system of all the 2800 class locos first placed in service in 1995 which will bring them into compliance with the emassion standards for new locos built today.
Similar upgrades of older locomotives and the introduction of new more fuel efficent locomotives with lower emissions are taking place over the nations rail systems.
Facts that Mr Sinclair conveniently overlooks in his statement supporting the road transport industry.

[ozbob]

http://www.ara.net.au/UserFiles/file/Media%20Releases/11-08-10%20%20Rail%20responds%20to%20Trucking%20Industry%20backlash%20%281%29.pdf

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Rail Responds to Trucking Industry Backlash

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) wants to clarify the Australian Trucking Association's (ATA) media statement released today regarding road and rail emissions.
Using statistics from the ARA website, the ATA attempted to discredit rail's environmental performance. The information used by the ATA is part of a Rail proposal to address regional rail freight issues.

Mr Bryan Nye, CEO of the ARA acknowledges that the average age of general freight trains is 36 years old however, these older trains move only a small percentage of freight.
"The Rail Industry agrees with the ATA that some areas, especially regional freight services suffer from an ageing locomotive fleet," he said.

The ATA has conflated issues around CO2 emissions with other forms of air pollution. Most concerning, the ATA has disingenuously tried to use ARA statistics, that mainly apply to regional services, to discredit the entire rail industry.

"The majority of Australian rail freight moved meets most European and North American standards on air quality and emissions," said Mr Nye.
These locomotives produce two to three times less CO2 than heavy road vehicles. For bulk freight such as coal, rail is up to 10 times more emissions friendly than road.
Rail has been open about its regional freight environmental challenges. We have raised this issue with policy makers and sought assistance from the Federal Government to repower and replace old locomotives.

"The Rail Industry agrees with the ATA that air pollution issues with older regional trains on our network need addressing," continued Mr Nye.

"Regional rail services run for community obligations providing access and amenity for regional Australia. These services often run at a loss. There is no commercial incentive for operators to replace these locomotives. This is why the Rail Industry has developed its Government - Industry proposal to replace and repower older locomotives.

The Rail Industry has invested heavily in ascertaining the true social and environmental credentials of rail transport.

"The Trucking Industry is trying to discredit sound research. If we're going to weigh the environmental and social benefits of road and rail, we need the full picture," continued Nye.
Rail is confident in its environmental performance and superior social benefits. For instance:
According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), Rail is up to 9 times safer than road transport,
1500 people die in Australian road accidents every year costing in excess of $30 billion per year, and
since 1993, more than 2400 Australians have been killed in accidents with trucks.

The True Value of Rail report released today by Lance Hockridge at the National Press Club provides a sound basis to weigh up the environmental and social benefits of transport in Australia.
"I am more than happy to participate in a public debate with the ATA on any environmental or social issues relating to transport," concluded My Nye.

The True Value of Rail Report can be viewed here: http://ara.net.au/site/publications_tvor.php

[Jonno]

If the Trucking Association's only come back is to incorrectly attack the 'green' credentials of rail then they know that the accident, efficiency, subsidisation and congestion findings are true and they can not refute them.

[mufreight]

The trucking association has conveniently overlooked the operation of the amount of coal services hauled with electric locos which allowing fot the power being generated in coal fired power stations is less carbon emitting than any other forms of transport.  Now if the Hunter Valley coal services and the Pilbera iron ore services were electrified what impacts would they have on carbon emissions?

[somebody]

The trucking association has conveniently overlooked the operation of the amount of coal services hauled with electric locos which allowing fot the power being generated in coal fired power stations is less carbon emitting than any other forms of transport.  Now if the Hunter Valley coal services and the Pilbera iron ore services were electrified what impacts would they have on carbon emissions?

I'm afraid I am not sure if that is correct.  Diesel gains a significant proportion of its combustion heat from the hydrogen, and a diesel engine even in the obsolete 48 class locos in NSW is likely more efficient than the superheat power stations common in Australia (Tarong North is an exception, it's supercritical at least).  There are also transmission losses.  I'm not sure if the weight of the engine translates to a tangible difference either.

Does the Pilbara have more efficient electricity than diesel generation?

Typical efficiencies:
steam loco: 8%
petrol engine: 18-25%
superheat coal power station: 33%
typical diesel engine: 38% - I presume only when on continuous speed duty
supercritical coal power station: 39%
Mercury boiler coal power station: >40%
2 stroke turbo charged diesel: allegedly around 50%
Combined cycle gas power station: 60%.

Flame away!

[ozbob]

From Rail Express click here!

Debate over rail versus road ignites ... again

Debate over rail versus road ignites ... again
by Rail Express — last modified Aug 17, 2011 10:39 AM
— filed under: Weekly Top Stories, Rail

CEO of Australian rail's peak body, Bryan Nye, has challenged the head of the Australian Trucking Association to participate in a public debate following the ATA's statement that the rail industry's vision for the future had no credibility unless it agreed to emissions controls on its "dirty, polluting locomotives".
 
Debate over rail versus road ignites ... again

By Jennifer Perry

ATA chief execuitve Stuart St Clair made the comments in a statement issues last Wednesday, the same day that the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) launched its True Value of Rail report at the National Press Club in Canberra (see related story).

St Clair made comments that Australia's freight locomotives were on average, 36-years-old, with some using diesel engines up to 40-years-old.

"Railway locomotives are not subject to emission controls. As a result, a typical locomotive emits more pollution than 140 new trucks. Older locomotives are worse," the ATA's statement said.

The ARA was quick to rebut the claims in its own statement issued on the same day which said the ATA had used statistics from the ARA website in an attempt to discredit rail's environmental performance. The information used by the ATA was  part of a rail proposal to address regional rail freight issues.

Nye acknowledged that the average age of general freight trains is 36-years-old however, he said these trains moved only a "small percentage of freight".

While the rail industry agrees with the ATA that some areas, especially regional freight services, suffered from an ageing locomotive fleet, Nye said the ATA had conflated issues around CO2 emissions with other forms of air pollution.

"Most concerning, the ATA has disingenuously tried to use ARA statistics, that mainly apply to regional services, to discredit the entire rail industry," he said.

"The majority of Australian rail freight locomotives meet most European and North American standards on air quality and emissions.

"These locomotives produce two to three times less CO2 than heavy road vehicles. For bulk freight such as coal, rail is up to 10 times more emissions friendly than road."

St Clair said that since 1995, the trucking industry had been subject to increasingly tight pollution controls, with all new trucks now having to meet the "incredibly tough Euro V standard".

"In contrast, there are no emissions controls on railway locomotives, even though these controls were discussed in a National Transport Commission scoping paper in 2004," he said.

"A conservative estimate is that a typical Australian railway locomotive puts out more pollution than 140 new trucks. The oldest locomotives are even dirtier; the figure could be in the thousands."

St Clair went on to compare Australia's 40-year-old locomotive engines with leading edge technology used in the US, and claimed Australia's locomotives used more than six times the level of carbon monoxide; about four times the level of particulates; double the nitrogen oxides; and 20-30% more carbon dioxide.

Nye said the rail industry agreed with the ATA that air pollution issues with older trains on Australia's network needed addressing and had been "open" about its regional freight environmental challenges and had sought assistance from the Federal Government to repower and replace old locomotives.

"Regional rail services run for community obligations providing access and amenity for regional Australia. These services often run at a loss. There is no commercial incentive for operators to replace these locomotives. This is why the rail industry has developed its government-industry proposal to replace and repower older locomotives," he said.

However, he maintained that "the full picture" was needed if the environmental and social benefits of road and rail were going to be compared and said the ARA's release of the True Value of Rail report provided a sound basis to weigh up the environmental and social benefits of transport in Australia.

"I am more than happy to participate in a public debate with the ATA on any environmental or social issues relating to transport," Nye said.