Decarbonizing Transport: Enabling A Shift To Railways Is Essential For Meeting Climate Goals

A recent analysis by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) suggests that the present share of rail transport could be as low as 27 percent and 10 percent for freight and passenger movement, respectively. For freight, this represents a major decrease from the estimated 35 percent share in 2005. The commitments were framed based on this target. With the subsequent growth of the aviation sector and improvements in road connectivity, improving the share of rail in passenger movement is a challenging proposition. However, given that 60 percent of freight ecosystem consists of bulk commodities well-suited for rail movement, a better outcome was expected from freight movement.