It is known that the transport sector is the main responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Quebec and that the mobility needs of individuals and goods (despite a one-time downturn due to the pandemic) is a major trend. which will continue to increase.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
There is a lot of talk – with good reason – about electric vehicles, but recent reports show that the anticipated curve of use of these vehicles does not compensate for the impact of diesel consumption in the sector as a whole, and will be insufficient to allow Quebec to achieve its 2030 GHG reduction target of 37.5% compared to 1990. Hence the importance of focusing even more on collective mobility.
The train is recognized as the cleanest mode of transporting passengers and goods. However, its contribution to the decarbonization of our society is still negligible, and Canada remains surprisingly timid about the adoption of low or zero emission locomotive technologies.
For several months, in Germany, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) has been testing a battery-electric train dedicated to daily passenger service. The DB also announces the banishment of diesel for its fleet of 3000 locomotives by 2040. In France, it is the SNCF which operates a hybrid diesel-battery solution.
To achieve the objective of carbon neutrality by 2050, Quebec, like Canada, must also turn more to rail and promote its greenest versions.
We must certainly welcome the recent advances in Montreal (REM), Quebec City (tramway) or in Greater Toronto (electrification of the GO network and expansion of metro lines), but we need more of these new electrical systems and focus on converting of existing solutions.
In Canada, we have a network of approximately 50,000 km of railways, barely 1% of which is electrified (for comparison, the European network is more than 50%). There is certainly a backlog to be made up, but it is obvious that we will not be able to electrify everything. In less dense environments and over long distances, in particular, other alternatives to diesel must be considered.
Hydrogen, battery, high speed
In 2018, Alstom put the world’s first hydrogen passenger train into commercial service in Germany. It displays a performance similar to diesel trains, in terms of power, autonomy and comfort, while being zero emissions. Since then, France, Italy and Great Britain have launched fleet conversion programs to hydrogen, while other countries such as Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands are testing the product. .
Here, it is the freight sector which, motivated by regulatory constraints and the growing weight of fuel on its balance sheet, is moving towards hydrogen or battery technology. We must praise the ambitious climate commitments of our railway companies, but they face two major challenges: the costly electrification of their vast networks and storage technologies that do not yet meet their needs.
We are therefore a few years away from a radical and unavoidable transformation of the sector, and it would be appropriate to consider support programs, particularly in research and development, to accelerate the transition.
Finally, we must ensure that the sums collectively invested in public transport give their full return. In rail, high-speed remains today the one that provides the best economic performance and GHG reduction, because in addition to being powered by electricity, it involves a major modal shift from car or plane to the train, particularly noticeable on distances reduced to three hours or less. Over these distances, moreover, several flights in Europe are no longer offered, or even outright prohibited by a climate law.
The high-frequency train project between Quebec and Toronto launched by the federal government offers very interesting potential in this regard. Would it be possible in Canada (the only G7 country and one of the few G20 countries not to have a TGV project) to combine frequency and speed in a game-changing project?
We believe it. In the United States, the Amtrak company is developing a TGV project between Boston, New York and Washington which, in addition to reaching peak speeds of 250 km/h, connects a dozen intermediate-sized localities with major centers, strengthening thus their links and their development.
In short, green mobility solutions proven elsewhere are slow to arrive here. We can learn from it, while recognizing that our context and our challenges are different. An open dialogue between public authorities, industry and the population, as well as better alignment of future investment choices with bold public policies would make it possible to considerably increase the contribution of rail to influence the carbon trajectory of Quebec and the Canada.