What pollution amount per person does a train produce compared with other modes of transport. Ie Planes.?

Question

What pollution amount per person does a train produce compared with other modes of transport. Ie Planes.?

Answer 1

depends how busy it is, many arent full.

thats why the statistics for busses dont work. they assume they are full, when usually they only have about 3 people on them and churn out miles more pollution than 3 cars

Answer 2

In the freight industry I know for fact train becomes the least polluting form of heavy hauling transportation when you consider there are two people aboard it. 19000tons coal moved at one shot with 2 to 3 locomotives is awesomly more cheap and eco friendly than moving that via Semi truck. By the way WAKE UP. What you see coming out of the stack of a diesel vehicle or machine is FAR more clean and eco friendly than what you can't see coming out of any unleaded vehicle. What you see is black dinosaur bones coming out of those stacks. Which is oddly a blessing because the primary biproduct of diesel is carbon (in laymans terms coal dust) which falls to the earth instead of rising to the ozone. Yes there are biproducts of diesel that aren't eco friendly, but far less than that of Gasoline vehicles.

Answer 3

On the Northeast Corridor 0 pollution, if the electricity comes from a nuclear power-plant.

Trains uses less fuel per ton of cargo then any forms of transportation , hence less pollution.

Answer 4

1 train produces 11kg of Carbon.

1 plane produces122Kg of Carbon.

Answer 5

That is a really good question and I really don't have a clue about the answer.  There would be a lot of factors to take into account when calculating this. For starters, in my area, a packed 12 carriage commuter train to London will be carrying well in excess of 1200 passengers (many more than the average 747). These particular trains are powered by 740V electrified third rail system so the pollution at the point of delivery is absolutely minimal (only brake dust, no exhaust emissions). However, the pollution created by the power stations which provide the electricity for these trains is something that many people don't take into account.  I would have thought though that bearing in mind the huge passenger count that it is a cleaner mode of transport per head than a jet plane. Just guessing though :)