Rail Freight: GLEC
Calculate rail freight emissions with the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) framework, which considers train type, fuel consumption, distance covered and cargo weight.
Sample requests
Send the first body for a quote before booking. Once the booking is final, send it again with audit set to true.
{
"expand": ["items"],
"items": [{
"audit": false,
"type": "rail_freight",
"external_reference": "test_1",
"origin": "OSL",
"destination": "HEL",
"weight_in_tonnes": 86,
"fuel_type": "diesel",
"load_characteristic": "coal_steel",
"methodology": "GLEC"
}]
}audit_for is optional
Pass the ID of an auditable entity when you calculate on behalf of that entity. Otherwise, leave it out.
Defaults
When a field is missing, SQUAKE fills it in before calculating.
| Field | Default | Applies when |
|---|---|---|
fuel_type | diesel | No fuel_type is sent |
load_characteristic | average | No load_characteristic is sent |
Request fields
typestringrequiredrail_freight
methodologystringrequiredGLEC
originstringSQUAKE tries to resolve any format. Ideally, use the Post standard for addresses, IATA/ICAO codes for airports (MUC), UN/LOCODE for other locations used in trade and transportation (DEHAM), or latitude and longitude (+40.712,-74.006).
destinationstringSame formats as origin.
distance_in_kmnumberTakes priority over origin and destination. Without it, SQUAKE resolves the distance from them.
weight_in_tonnesnumberCargo weight in tonnes.
fuel_typeenumelectricity, us_diesel, indian_average, average or diesel. Defaults to diesel.
energy_scopeenumttw or wtw. Defaults to wtw.
load_characteristicenumaverage, container, cars, chemicals, coal_steel, building_materials, manufactured_products, cereals, truck_trailer_on_train or trailer_only_on_train. Defaults to average.
external_referencestringYour identifier for the item, up to 128 characters, so you can match results to requests. SQUAKE doesn't guarantee the order of items.
auditbooleanSet to true to create immutable audit records for finalised calculations. Must be enabled for your account.
POST /v2/calculations in the API referenceSample response
{
"carbon_quantity": 1334170,
"carbon_unit": "gram",
"items": [{
"carbon_quantity": 1334170,
"carbon_unit": "gram",
"external_reference": "test_1",
"type": "rail_freight",
"methodology": "GLEC",
"distance": 768.0,
"distance_unit": "kilometer",
"algorithm_specifics": {
"algorithm_type": "glec",
"data": {
"co2e_in_g": 1334170,
"co2e_emissions_wtw_in_g": 1334170,
"co2e_per_tonne_km_in_g": 20,
"tonne_km": 66048,
"reporting_year": 2024,
"transportation_mode": "rail_transportation"
}
}
}]
}Bibliography
Smart Freight Centre helped us fine-tune our calculations of all freight and logistics operations in line with the GLEC framework.
- Smart Freight Centre (2025). Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework V3.2.
- Towards efficient and zero emissions. Smart Freight Centre. smartfreightcentre.org