This dataset represents the provision of 1 ton of transport service by a freight train over a distance of 1 kilometer. The dataset includes the production and maintenance of locomotives and wagons, the construction of railway tracks, as well as the energy usage and operational emissions of diesel-powered freight trains. Energy use and operational emissions data mainly come from a synthesis of industry research, standards, traffic yearbooks, and literature, representing the average level of the region of China. According to official statistical yearbooks, in the freight train market in China, the total volume of goods turnover by diesel locomotives accounts for approximately 30%, while the volume of goods turnover by electric locomotives accounts for approximately 70%.