Technological Innovations
Rail Freight Decarbonization: Innovations and Economic Assessment

Driven by regulatory pressure and the momentum of innovation, the rail sector is undergoing a profound transformation. The diversity of available technical solutions (Figure 1 ) makes it a unique sector in terms of decarbonization. Unlike other modes of transportation, it is possible to take action simultaneously on:

• on-board energy (electric, batteries, hydrogen, biofuels);

• infrastructure (overhead wires, charging at stations, hydrogen pipelines);

• rolling stock (new or retrofitted);

• system architecture (hybridization, bimodality, intelligent energy management, regenerative braking, etc.).