Amtrak pledge to reduce 40 per cent greenhouse gas emissions

Credit: Amtrak

Amtrak has announced a historic pledge to reduce 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, fully transitioning all electricity to carbon-free sources by 2030. As a part of this vision, the acquisition of new ALC-42s will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions compared to the legacy fleet they are replacing.

“The United States has the opportunity to make use of an unparalleled asset, our railway infrastructure, to support an expanded network of low-carbon, high-capacity intercity passenger rail that can reduce this country’s carbon emissions,” Stephen Gardner, CEO and President of Amtrak, said. “Creating a future where rail is operated on clean energy, Amtrak is stepping up to President Biden’s Climate Change Commitment and the FRA’s challenge as we aim to transition to carbon-free electricity to power our trains.”

Amtrak is a company which is proud to provide significant emissions savings for its customers. In fact, the individual automobile is, on a per-passenger mile basis, one of the least efficient types of transportation. To get a sense of what this means in terms of climate impact, Amtrak emits up to 83 per cent fewer greenhouse gases per passenger compared to driving and up to 72 per cent fewer than flying.

From 2010 to 2019, Amtrak reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent, which is equivalent to powering the homes of the entire population in Richmond, Virginia. Through several key initiatives like energy efficiency upgrades, using as little fuel as possible and running more efficient locomotives, Amtrak continues to reduce fuel and energy use year-over-year. Acknowledging the impact of climate change to local communities, Amtrak is also developing a company-wide climate resilience plan to ensure the company will continue to provide reliable and safe service as climate conditions change.