Comments on: Amtrak’s Arte boards the offset tree train http://climateprogress.org/2007/07/29/amtraks-arte-boards-the-offset-tree-train/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:01:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2007/07/29/amtraks-arte-boards-the-offset-tree-train/#comment-4859 Earl Killian Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:36:03 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/07/29/amtraks-arte-boards-the-offset-tree-train/#comment-4859 People assume that public transportation is energy efficient, but it is not always true. Is Amtrak energy efficient? At http://tinyurl.com/n22lr it says Amtrak energy intensity was 2,935 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per passenger-mile. A Prius uses 1,706 BTUs per passenger-mile (46 MPG, 124,000 BTU/gallon, 1.58 passengers per vehicle). Amtrak is capable of much higher efficiencies when the trains are fully loaded, but they are not. European and Japanese trains operate much more efficiently than Amtrak. Some US public transportation is very efficient, such as San Francisco's BART. One report said "During the lowest day time ridership hour in the midday lull (noon – 1PM) BART averaged 360 watt hours per person-mile (wh/p-m). From 4-5PM the average was 251 wh/p-m and from 5-6PM it was only 171 wh/p-m." 171 Wh is 583 BTU, so BART at rush hour is almost 3 times the efficiency of the Prius. Better, it is electric, so it has the potential to be zero GHG with the right electric grid. People assume that public transportation is energy efficient, but it is not always true. Is Amtrak energy efficient? At http://tinyurl.com/n22lr it says Amtrak energy intensity was 2,935 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per passenger-mile. A Prius uses 1,706 BTUs per passenger-mile (46 MPG, 124,000 BTU/gallon, 1.58 passengers per vehicle). Amtrak is capable of much higher efficiencies when the trains are fully loaded, but they are not. European and Japanese trains operate much more efficiently than Amtrak.

Some US public transportation is very efficient, such as San Francisco’s BART. One report said “During the lowest day time ridership hour in the midday lull (noon – 1PM) BART averaged 360 watt hours per person-mile (wh/p-m). From 4-5PM the average was 251 wh/p-m and from 5-6PM it was only 171 wh/p-m.” 171 Wh is 583 BTU, so BART at rush hour is almost 3 times the efficiency of the Prius. Better, it is electric, so it has the potential to be zero GHG with the right electric grid.

]]>