{"id":116787,"date":"2024-08-29T08:46:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T22:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railexpress.com.au\/?p=117256"},"modified":"2024-08-29T08:46:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T22:46:48","slug":"rail-freight-saved-230000-tonnes-of-emissions-kiwirail-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=116787","title":{"rendered":"Rail freight saved 230,000 tonnes of emissions KiwiRail said"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image: Gary\/stock.adobe.com
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Businesses and freight companies choosing to put their goods on rail saved nearly 230,000 tonnes of CO2<\/a> emissions in the last financial year in New Zealand<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

KiwiRail\u2019s latest data shows that in the financial year ending June 30, 2024, goods carried on rail reduced transport CO2 emissions by 229,434 tonnes (based on national average emissions factors), compared with the emissions that would have been created carrying those products by trucks.<\/p>\n

Rail also avoided a million heavy truck trips, easing road congestion, reducing road maintenance costs and saving 84.7 million litres of fuel.<\/p>\n

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Image\/KiwiRail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

KiwiRail chief customer and growth officer Adele Wilson said the latest figures highlight the value of rail to New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\u201cRail is a key part of an integrated national freight transport system,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not about rail versus road but the two modes working seamlessly together. One freight train can carry the same amount of freight as 40 trucks – it\u2019s an efficient way to move large quantities of goods over long distances. In a rail context, road plays an essential role in moving freight to and from the rail head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the data shows, rail has a clear role in helping reduce our overall transport emissions and helping New Zealand meet its emission reduction targets.”<\/p>\n

Wilson said the message is that the more industry chooses rail, the greater the environmental benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccessive Governments have made significant investments in lifting the standard of the national rail network and KiwiRail is in the process of replacing our ageing locomotives with new low-emission diesel locos,” she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of our long-term network improvement programme KiwiRail is working hard to be able to provide better service to freight customers and logistics companies needing sustainable, urgent freight transport solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese investments will not only reduce rail emissions further but provide the improved reliability that will give logistics companies and other businesses the confidence to make greater use of rail.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe general economic downturn is affecting all sectors of the freight market but we continue looking for opportunities to work with logistics companies and other customers to grow rail volumes, for the benefit of New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last year KiwiRail has:<\/p>\n