Energy Management in the Railway Industry: A Case Study of Rail Freight Carrier in Poland

Aleksandra Kuzior and Marek Staszek
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Aleksandra Kuzior: Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Roosevelta 26, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Marek Staszek: DB Cargo Polska S.A., ul. Wolności 337, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-21

Abstract: Energy is crucial to economic development, but its production usually has a negative impact on the environment. This ambivalence leads to the need for methods to improve energy efficiency. Transportation is one of the largest global energy consumers. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of transportation is crucial for sustainable development. The aim of this article is to show the limitations of energy management in railways, resulting from the model of market regulation. The question in this context is whether only technological methods can be used in railways to steer its energy efficiency, as is suggested by the existing research. Critical analysis, desk research and a case study of Polish railway undertaking were used to find an answer to the research question. The discussion of the results shows that the European regulatory system leads to greater complications in the field of energy management than in other global regions, where railways are also important for the economy. Due to these limitations, rail operators use indirect methods to measure energy efficiency. Results indicate that although energy efficiency improvements are being achieved, they are mainly due to organizational measures and not technological ones as could be expected based on previous research.

Keywords: energy efficiency; transportation; railway transportation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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