Upgrade of a conventional railway line regarding energy efficiency

Most of the research addressing energy efficiency improvements on existing conventional railway lines is essentially from the point of view of train operation and does not analyse the possibilities that small actions on the railway infrastructure can bring. This fact is particularly significant for freight trains, whose movement is severely conditioned by uphill gradients, crossing points and speed restrictions. This article considers a conventional railway line, assessing the results, from the point of view of energy efficiency gains, of local upgrades of the existing railway infrastructure. The results obtained show that surgical interventions on existing railway infrastructure would improve the energy efficiency of freight trains, which is part of ‘decarbonisation’ policies and the fight against climate change. This kind of analysis can constitute a new contribution to decision-making processes, which will contribute to the achievement of the objectives assumed by the European Union.