by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:35 AM ET, Wed June 14, 2023
A new report from Amtrak found that the rail company reduced
diesel usage and air emissions last year, as well as increased purchases
related to carbon-free energy.
According to Amtrak’s fiscal year 2022
Sustainability Report, a company-wide commitment to climate preservation has
coincided with a resurgence in passenger rail travel. As a result, Amtrak is expanding
its network and improving its fleet of trains.
The rail company cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more
than 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide since 2010. The total reduction does
not include additional GHG emissions avoided each time someone chooses rail
travel over driving or flying, which accounts for a decrease of up to 83
percent or 72 percent, respectively.
To meet Amtrak’s pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
emissions across its network by 2045, the company is expanding efforts to
reduce its environmental impacts while safely moving people.
“Sustainability sits at the heart of Amtrak’s value
proposition: we aim to get you there reliably, safely and with a smaller impact
on the environment,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said.
“As we build a more modern Amtrak with federal funding from
the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), we aim to lead a
new era of sustainable passenger rail,” Gardner continued.
Locomotive manufacturers also approved the use of renewable diesel
on California’s state-supported passenger trains to begin in the fiscal year
2023, a change that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and cuts lifecycle
emissions produced by diesel locomotives.
In addition, Amtrak installed more than 3,000 new light
fixtures, including 1,400 replacements of fluorescent or early-generation LED,
a move that reduced the company’s GHG emissions output by roughly 500 metric
tons.
Other highlights from the report include investing $2.3
billion in capital projects, restoring or expanding service along 11 routes,
hiring more than 3,700 new employees, ridership rebounding by 89 percent over
the previous year and modernized Amtrak Airo trainsets joining the fleet.
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