Energy efficiency and driving factors of railway cold chain transportation in China

Due to the temperature control function, the unit energy consumption of cold chain transportation is more than that of ordinary transportation. Although rail transportation is known as an energy-efficient means, little attention has been given to the energy efficiency of railway cold chain transportation (RCCT). To address this gap, in this research, detailed waybill data for China's railway cold-chain is applied. First, we investigate the RCCT market in China and provide an energy consumption calculation method for RCCT. Then, the provincial energy consumption and the efficiency of RCCT are compared based on a DEA-SBM model. Finally, the Tobit model is utilized to assess how various factors influence energy efficiency. The findings could provide support for energy-saving policy-making in the cold chain transportation sector at the national and regional level, which has been discussed in scenario analysis.