Train conflicts and have a major effect on energy consumption for train operation. Although the prominent role of traffic fluidity on energy efficiency is undoubted, there is little quantitative data on its impact.

A study by Adtranz Switzerland (Meyer et al. 2000) measured the energy consumption of different real train runs between Luzern and Zurich. The figures revealed that the average energy consumption of the runs on which no unexpected stops occurred was 10-15% lower than the corresponding average of all runs with one or several unexpected stops. The authors conclude that an improved traffic situation could save up to 10 % of the energy.