“Rail can serve as the backbone of mobility across the continent, reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Makgola Makololo, Managing Director of Alstom Rolling Stock South Africa.

Makololo was speaking at the Africa Rail convention taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre from June 25-26.

She referred to International Energy Agency statistics stating that urban rail emits substantially less greenhouse gas emissions than vehicles. Specifically, rail transport emits only 19 grams of carbon per passenger kilometre whereas combustion-engine vehicles emit approximately 180 grams.

“As we plan for future mobility solutions, we must balance factors of sustainability, efficiency and socio-economic impact. Rail presents a viable path to achieving sustainable mobility that supports urbanisation and climate resilience,” Makololo said.

Transportation contributes about 25% of global gas emissions. In Africa, with transportation infrastructure under mounting pressure, an urban influx is set to exacerbate air quality and carbon emission challenges, said Makololo. “It is estimated that, by 2050, 29% of people in Africa will live in urban areas. By increasing rail penetration to about 10%, we can avoid nearly one gigatonne of emissions by 2050 so it is important to look at the impact of rail not just in terms of mobility but also in terms of sustainability and the impact on climate change.”