Environmental perspectives of rail transport

Particular attention on the railway must be paid to environmental protection and a rational approach to the use of natural resources.In the modern world, new solutions are found to solve environmental and energy conservation issues, this is facilitated by large corporations and their fi nancing of projects. Technological modernization of old systems brings enterprises to a new level and allows them to be competitive in the international market. The construction of railway lines leads to an increase in fuel consumption, which increases the emissions of various elements into the atmosphere.The creation of electric locomotives, the introduction of modern equipment, the modernization of diesel locomotives (contact-battery electric locomotive of the VL26 series) lead to a decrease in the level of atmospheric air pollution and makes it possible to reduce the maximum permissible concentrations of heavy elements in the environment.The experience of using Russian Railways technologies for energy saving and reducing the level of environmental pollution was studied.The forecasts for the use of a contact-battery electric locomotive of the VL26 series, designed to replace shunting diesel locomotives, which showed shortcomings and a loss of almost 70 % of the energy coming from the contact network, are presented.The modernization of diesel locomotives is considered, which will make it possible to reduce the consumption of fuel, oil and increase the energy effi ciency of the drive with switched reluctance machines, and therefore reduce the level of environmental pollution. The use of electrical power transmission with switched reluctance machines reduces maintenance and repair costs due to the features of electrical machines and the converter.