Rail Freight: DIN EN 16258

💡 High-Level Description:

DIN EN 16258 is a standard that addresses the methodology for the calculation and declaration of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to transportation services. Within the sphere of rail freight, this standard plays a pivotal role in ensuring standardized, transparent, and accurate reporting of GHG emissions. Rail freight, as an essential segment of the transport industry, has distinctive energy consumption patterns and emission profiles.

DIN EN 16258 offers a comprehensive framework for the sector by considering various facets of rail freight operations. From the type of fuel used to the weight and type of goods transported, distance covered, and even the type of rail infrastructure in place, every variable has an impact on the overall carbon footprint. The methodology is particularly valued because it allows for consistency in reporting across the European Union, ensuring comparability and benchmarking among various rail operators. By following the stipulations and recommendations of DIN EN 16258, rail freight operators can derive clear, actionable insights on their environmental footprint and identify potential avenues for improvement.

Sample API Request

{
  "expand": [
    "items"
  ],
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "rail_freight",
      "external_reference": "test_1",
      "origin": "HAM",
      "destination": "BER",
      "weight_in_tonnes": 41,
      "methodology": "DIN-EN-16258",
      "energy_scope": "wtw"
    }
  ]
}

API Request Items

• "type": "rail_freight" (required)

• "methodology": "DIN-EN-16258" (required)

• "external_reference": A unique identifier that helps you link the resulting emissions to the requested item. Especially useful if multiple items are requested since SQUAKE cannot guarantee to keep the same order. The maximum length is 128 characters.

• "origin": SQUAKE will try to resolve the origin/destination regardless of its format. Ideally, for addresses use the Post standard, for airports use IATA/ICAO code (format: ^[A-Z]{3,4}$, e.g., "MUC"), for other locations used in trade and transportation use UN/LOCODE codes (format: ^[A-Z]{2}\W?[A-Z2-9]{3}$, e.g., "DEHAM"). You can also pass lat/long (format: ^[-+]?\d{1,3}\.\d{1,10}\s?,\s?[-+]?\d{1,3}\.\d{1,10}$, e.g., "+40.712,-74.006").

• "destination": SQUAKE will try to resolve the origin/destination regardless of its format. Ideally, for addresses use the Post standard, for airports use IATA/ICAO code (format: ^[A-Z]{3,4}$, e.g., "MUC"), for other locations used in trade and transportation use UN/LOCODE codes (format: ^[A-Z]{2}\W?[A-Z2-9]{3}$, e.g., "DEHAM"). You can also pass lat/long (format: ^[-+]?\d{1,3}\.\d{1,10}\s?,\s?[-+]?\d{1,3}\.\d{1,10}$, e.g., "+40.712,-74.006").

• "distance_in_km": Prioritized over origin and destination. If you don't have a distance_in_km, you can use origin and destination and the distance will be automatically resolved. If you pass both distance_in_km and origin/destination, then distance_in_km will be used.

• "weight_in_tonnes": Numeric value.

• "train_type": Values are 500t, 1000t, 1500t, 2000t Default value is 1000t.

• "fuel_type": Values are electricity and diesel. Default value is diesel.

• "energy_scope": Values are ttw or wtw. Default value is wtw.

Default values

• "train_type": "1000t"

• "fuel_type": "diesel"

• "energy_scope": "wtw"

Sample API Response

{
    "carbon_quantity": 256789,
    "carbon_unit": "gram",
    "items": [
        {
            "carbon_quantity": 256789,
            "carbon_unit": "gram",
            "external_reference": "test_1",
            "type": "rail_freight",
            "methodology": "DIN-EN-16258",
            "distance": 292.0,
            "distance_unit": "kilometer",
            "algorithm_specifics": {
                "algorithm_type": "DIN-EN-16258",
                "data": {
                    "fuel_consumption_per_tonne_km": 1.5,
                    "fuel_to_co2": 3.14,
                    "train_type": "1000t",
                    "reporting_year": 2024,
                    "transportation_mode": "rail_transportation"
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

Bibliography

• Method for Calculating and Declaring Energy Consumption (2013, March). DIN EN 16258. https://dx.doi.org/10.31030/1894795