Driving Mechanism and Energy Conservation Strategy for China’s Railway Passenger Stations Towards Carbon Neutrality

As critical hubs for long-distance transportation, railway passenger stations (RPSs) significantly influence energy conservation and CO2 mitigation. This study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of CO2 emissions across 247 Chinese RPSs (2014–2023), proposing region-specific decarbonization strategies. The key findings include: (1) Emissions increased universally during 2014–2023, with severe cold zones and developed cities hosting the most high-emission RPSs; (2) purchased thermal energy dominated the emissions in severe cold/cold zones, while purchased electricity prevailed in other zones; (3) the heating area (HA) was a primary emission driver, whereas the percentage of lighting energy consumption (PLEC) served as a key constraint, as shown by correlation and PCA analyses; (4) CO2 emissions in severe cold zones exhibited strong correlations with heating-related factors, whereas emissions in other zones were predominantly linked to energy structure-related factors. These findings provide region-specific, actionable strategies to support CO2 emission reduction planning for RPSs.