Editing Amtrak (section)

== Environmental impacts ==
=== Amtrak's environmental impact ===
Per passenger mile, Amtrak is 30–40 percent more energy-efficient than commercial airlines and automobiles overall,<ref name="bts-energy" /> though the exact figures for particular routes depend on load factor along with other variables. The electrified trains in the NEC are considerably more efficient than Amtrak's diesels and can feed energy captured from [[Regenerative brake#The motor as a brake|regenerative braking]] back to the electrical grid. Passenger rail is also very competitive with other modes in terms of safety per mile.

In 2005, Amtrak's carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per passenger were 0.411 lbs/mi (0.116&nbsp;kg per km).<ref>{{cite web |title=Updated Comparison of Energy Use & CO2 Emissions From Different Transportation Modes |url=http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034836/http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=November 23, 2012}} table 1.1, figures from 2005. Cf. http://docs.wri.org/wri_co2comm_2002_commuting_protected.xls {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112035414/http://docs.wri.org/wri_co2comm_2002_commuting_protected.xls|date=January 12, 2016}}, sheet 8, cell C33 (figures from 2002).</ref> For comparison, this is similar to a car with two people,<ref>respectively http://docs.wri.org/wri_co2comm_2002_commuting_protected.xls {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112035414/http://docs.wri.org/wri_co2comm_2002_commuting_protected.xls|date=January 12, 2016}}, sheet 8, cell C36 (figures from 2002); {{cite web |title=Updated Comparison of Energy Use &CO2 Emissions From Different Transportation Modes |url=http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034836/http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=November 23, 2012}} table 1.1, figures from 2007.</ref> about twice as high as the UK rail average (where more of the system is electrified),<ref>{{cite web |title=figures from 2008–9 |url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/rolling-c9-environ.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324105139/http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/rolling-c9-environ.pdf |archive-date=March 24, 2009 |access-date=November 23, 2012}}</ref> about four times the average US motorcoach,<ref>{{cite web |title=Figures from 2007 |url=http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034836/http://www.buses.org/files/2008ABAFoundationComparativeFuelCO2.pdf |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=November 23, 2012}}</ref> and about eight times a Finnish electric intercity train or fully loaded fifty-seat coach.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Average emissions of railway |title=Traffic in Finland |url=http://lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/raideliikennee/junat_henkiloe.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225092441/http://lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/raideliikennee/junat_henkiloe.htm |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2012 |website=www.lipasto.vtt.fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Carrying capacity |title=Gross vehicle mass 18 |url=http://www.lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/tieliikennee/linja-autote/latiee.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719225232/http://www.lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/tieliikennee/linja-autote/latiee.htm |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |access-date=May 6, 2012 |website=www.lipasto.vtt.fi}}</ref> It is, however, about two thirds of the raw CO<sub>2</sub>-equivalent emissions of a long-distance domestic flight.<ref>{{cite web |last1=LIPASTO |title=Average passenger |url=http://lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/ilmaliikennee/ilmae.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719224215/http://lipasto.vtt.fi/yksikkopaastot/henkiloliikennee/ilmaliikennee/ilmae.htm |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |access-date=May 6, 2012 |website=www.lipasto.vtt.fi}}</ref>

Amtrak operates [[Diesel fuel|diesel]], electric, and dual-mode (diesel and electric) locomotives on over thirty passenger train routes throughout the U.S. and Canada. [[Diesel engine|Diesel-powered engines]] produce more greenhouse gas emissions during operation than electric trains.

As for the locational pollution directly from Amtrak operation, their diesel trains cause more regional air pollution, impacting the ecosystems around the sites of operation. Also, more stops along train routes can lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Givoni |first1=Moshe |last2=Brand |first2=Christian |last3=Watkiss |first3=Paul |title=Are Railways Climate Friendly? |journal=Built Environment |date=March 1, 2009 |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=70–86 |doi=10.2148/benv.35.1.70 |jstor=23289645 |s2cid=154527995 |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cd7d3eb7-e57c-427d-9ec6-70da72389cce |access-date=November 2, 2022 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324110324/https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cd7d3eb7-e57c-427d-9ec6-70da72389cce |url-status=live }}</ref> Amtrak rail facilities located in [[Delaware]] were cited as the state's largest source of [[polychlorinated biphenyl]] (PCB) contamination into the Delaware River, which build up in the tissue of animals and are human carcinogens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=E&E News: Judge dismisses Del. attorney general's suit over PCB contamination |url=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2022/07/12/judge-dismisses-del-attorney-generals-suit-over-pcb-contamination-00045293 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=subscriber.politicopro.com |language=en |archive-date=October 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008185010/https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2022/07/12/judge-dismisses-del-attorney-generals-suit-over-pcb-contamination-00045293 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Environmental impact on Amtrak ===
Amtrak railways and surrounding infrastructure are susceptible to degradation by natural causes over time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chinowsky |first1=Paul |last2=Helman |first2=Jacob |last3=Gulati |first3=Sahil |last4=Neumann |first4=James |last5=Martinich |first5=Jeremy |title=Impacts of climate change on operation of the US rail network |journal=Transport Policy |date=March 2019 |volume=75 |pages=183–191 |doi=10.1016/j.tranpol.2017.05.007 |s2cid=158453316|doi-access=free }}</ref> Railways experience water damage from climate change backed increases in rainfall in wet areas, and rail buckling caused by hotter and dryer seasons in naturally dry areas.<ref name="Dobney Baker Quinn Chapman 2009" />

In September 2021, the remnants of [[Hurricane Ida]] flooded the Amtrak Northeast Corridor running from Boston to Washington D.C. and caused it to shut down for an entire day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=E&E News: Summer storms were a climate wake-up call for subways |url=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2021/10/08/summer-storms-were-a-climate-change-wake-up-call-for-subways-281721 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=subscriber.politicopro.com |language=en |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009200640/https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2021/10/08/summer-storms-were-a-climate-change-wake-up-call-for-subways-281721 |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2023, heavy snowfall and debris on tracks caused major disruptions from delays to cancellations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cancellations, other operational issues plague Amtrak |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/cancellations-other-operational-issues-plague-amtrak/ |access-date=March 3, 2023 |website=Trains |date=March 3, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303013919/https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/cancellations-other-operational-issues-plague-amtrak/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Rising summertime temperatures are causing an increase in railway buckles. A study conducted on the railways in the southeast United Kingdom found that when temperature changes become extreme in the summertime due to climate change, the tracks buckle due to the outward force of the metal expanding in collaboration with the weight of train car traffic. This causes speed restrictions to be put in place around certain temperature intervals, slowing travel time and lessening the number of train rides in a day. The study found that in 2004, 30,000 delay minutes were attributed to increased heat causing a total of over 1.7 million U.S. dollars, of total heat related delay cost.<ref name="Dobney Baker Quinn Chapman 2009" />