Possibilities of using alternative energy sources in rail transport: a case study in the Slovak Republic

One of the goals of the European Union is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from many kinds of industry. The transport sector is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gas emissions. The value of greenhouse gas emissions is possible to reduce by using railway transport to an increased extent. Railway transport is considered the most ecological mode of transport. However, diesel trains are not so ecological. A solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport can be using vehicles on alternative drives. In our case study, we concentrated on the economic benefits of implementing BEMU on a selected regional railway line in the Slovak Republic. The change in traction of a vehicle brings change in costs. In the case study, the operation of the diesel vehicles and the BEMU vehicles is compared from an economic side.