Work

Bureau-specific spatiotemporal carbon footprints and decarbonization pathways of China’s railways

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: China's industrialization and urbanization have driven differentiated railway development across regions, necessitating refined carbon footprint (CF) accounting at the bureau scale to address spatiotemporal heterogeneity beyond national-level analysis. Here we developed a bureau-specific CF model incorporating energy mix, technological efficiency, fleet structure, and transport capacity, paired with driver and efficiency identification models. Results show China's operational railway emissions dropped 25.5% during 2010–2022 but concentrated in northern bureaus, with Taiyuan (2.78 Mt CO 2 -eq), Shenyang (2.75 Mt CO 2 -eq), and Zhengzhou (2.52 Mt CO 2 -eq) as top emitters in 2022, primarily driven by energy intensity and transport volume variations. Electrification reduced emission intensity (electric locomotives outperforming diesel ones) but relies on low-carbon electricity. Emission efficiency improved alongside declining emissions, with Taiyuan railway bureau ranked first in both total CF and efficiency. These findings emphasize region-specific decarbonization strategies integrating renewable energy, technological upgrading, and operational optimization.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116807

Authors: Xiaofan Wang, Junjie Li, Yulong Yan, Lin Peng

Institution: Beijing Jiaotong University

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240