Factor 20: reducing CO2 emissions from inland transport by a major modal shift to rail

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Geography and Environmental Studies)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (General Engineering and Mineral & Mining Engineering)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy)

Professor W Powrie
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton

Standard

EPSRC

01 January 2010

31 July 2011

19 months

£201,866

Management & business studies

South East

NC : Engineering

Professor W Powrie, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton

Professor CJ Baker, Infra. Engineering & Management, University of Birmingham
Dr C Davis, Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham
Dr DI Fletcher, Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield
Dr FJ Franklin, Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University
Professor RM Goodall, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University
Professor M.J. Griffin, Inst of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton
Dr S Hillmansen, Electronic, Electrical and Computer Eng, University of Birmingham
Dr S D Iwnicki, Sch of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield
Dr CJC Jones, Inst of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton
Professor CA Nash, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds
Professor JM Preston, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton
Dr C Roberts, Electronic, Electrical and Computer Eng, University of Birmingham
Dr S Sharples, Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham
Professor RA Smith, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
Professor J Wilson, Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham

The proposed Feasibility Account will explore the premise that, to bring about a significant reduction in UK CO2 emissions from transport by 2050, rail system capacity and use will need to increase by a factor of 10 on current levels . Halving total CO2 emissions from rail transport over the same period gives a reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne- or passenger km by a factor of 20. This is a major challenge, and the potential barriers are manifold. They encompass economics, human behaviour, societal norms and social acceptance as well as technical, operational and political factors. Radical thinking in all of these areas is needed, covering work and travel patterns, incentivising rail travel above other modes, improving its attractiveness, optimising system capacity and spreading use, and overcoming societal, political and economic constraints on the development of new lines. It will be necessary to consider all types of railways, including metro systems and light rail, commuter,long-distance and rural passenger services, as well as freight. It is this radical thinking across this range of disciplines in combination that the feasibility account proposes to deliver

02/11/09