Short‐Term Energy and Emission Implications of a Shift From Road Passenger to an Electricity‐Based Public Rail Transport System in Tanzania

Amid rapid population growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), electric trains are increasingly seen as vital for decarbonizing passenger transport. However, the true benefits of this modal transition in SSA remain unclear. This study examined the short‐term implications of operational energy use and emissions on shifting from road to rail across different coach configurations (CC1–CC4) and route sections. In terms of energy, the main parameters are operational energy demand and energy savings, whereas in environmental aspects, the focus is on emissions released and emissions saved. The short‐term effects were assessed over 1‐, 5‐, and 10‐year periods. The findings reveal that electric train configurations (CC1–CC4) consume between 2000 and 3000 kWh/day, whereas equivalent 2 × 2 and 2 × 3 diesel buses use 9772–16,450 L/day and 8300–14,109 L/day, equivalent to 87,980–174,370 kWh/day. Corresponding CO 2 e emissions from SGR trains (223.5–1016.6 kgCO 2 e/day) are 96%–99% lower than those from diesel buses. The modal shift saved about 1.9–5.1 million liters of diesel avoided per year and 5030–13,286 tonnes CO 2 e avoided annually, equal to 18–54 GWh/year equivalent in energy savings. Over a decade, cumulative benefits could reach 540 GWh and 132,860 tonnes CO 2 e avoided. Compared with electric trains, diesel buses emit up to 45 times more CO 2 e. These results demonstrate the substantial operational energy and environmental advantages of transitioning from road to rail transport.