Planes, trains, and emissions: A study of aviation and high-speed rail demand and their climate impacts

The continuous growth of global air transportation has significant implications for strategies to reduce CO2 emissions of the transportation sector. There is evidence to suggest that high-speed rail (HSR) might offer a competitive, lower-carbon alternative to aviation, particularly for short-haul intercity travel. From an aviation systems planning perspective, the introduction of HSR may also alleviate constraints within increasingly congested air transportation networks. This research examines three cases: 1) an empirical analysis of the European experience to study how high-speed rail has impacted system-wide air travel demand; 2) an analysis of the U.S. case, focusing on how transportation investment and climate policies might influence demand for HSR and aviation and their CO2 emissions; and 3) an analysis of passenger preferences in China, based on surveys conducted in Beijing and Shanghai to examine passenger choice, and passenger considerations of environment and safety.

Speaker: Regina R. Clewlow, U.C. Berkeley

Room 534