Sustainability
TasRail's current operations are already making a significant contribution to reducing Tasmania's carbon emissions.
As a major logistics provider, TasRail is supportive of the Tasmanian Government’s Climate Change Action Plan 2023-25. In supporting the Government’s plans, TasRail is also investigating a broader decarbonisation pathway to assist with transitioning to zero (low) emission locomotives and engineer further resilience into the rail network to extreme weather events.
In relative terms, TasRail’s carbon emissions are just under one-quarter of road freight on a net tonne kilometre basis. In other words, carbon emissions are four times higher on road, versus rail, for every tonne of freight hauled one kilometre.
On the back of this contribution, the rail sector more broadly continues to investigate the adoption of zero (low) emission freight locomotives. Alternatives to diesel-powered freight locomotives remain in the development phase, with locomotive manufacturers partnering with large-scale rail businesses to develop zero or low-emission locomotive technology.
TasRail has identified a number of potential future solutions, including battery locomotives, that could play a role in helping the business on its decarbonisation pathway. There is still much work to do to better understand the opportunities and risks and TasRail will continue to monitor national and international efforts as the rail industry matures through this process.
