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Diesel emissions

The rail sector is a minor contributor to air pollution, yet railways are constantly working to reduce their air pollution. In Europe, the rail sector’s share of total Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions of transport is only 3% today, as efforts from the rail sector have reduced its NOx emissions by 35% since 1990. The same is true for Particulate Matter (PM), where the rail’s share is 4.5% only and rail’s PM emissions have also been reduced by 35% since 1990.

The UIC coordinates research and information sharing on the reduction of diesel emissions along with partners in the rail supply industry. Key documents and projects are listed below.

CLEANER-D The ClearER-D project was launched to find technical solutions to the challenges faced in complying with this new regulation framework. The project also anticipates that further regulation is likely and seeks to provide the sector with dynamic and innovative solutions for future applications should new limits be instituted. For more information visit the UIC Rolling Stock web page http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article2784 , or the CLEANER-D project website http://www.cleaner-d.eu/

The UIC Diesel Action Plan in 2003 advocating pro-active measures to reduce diesel exhaust emissions. This Action Plan led to the initiation of the “Rail Diesel Study” which is summarised in the document below. Results have also been presented in the Rail Diesel Study Workshop - Paris, 16th March 2006.

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2006 Rail Diesel Study

UIC and CER CER Community of the European Railways also published a report on “rail diesel emissions - facts & challenges”.

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Rail Diesel emissions, september 2006

In April 2009, the UIC emission network organised a day on particle filters in rail applications, to have an updated view on their possible use in railways.