HOW CAN RAIL HELP TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE? PART 2
The Railway Magazine looked at alternative fuels for trains in our July 2018 issue and, whilst there have been many new projects announced around the world since then, some trends are becoming apparent.
Electric power is now seen as fundamental to reducing emissions, with the big debates and technical discussions revolving around how the electricity is delivered to the train. Without doubt, overhead electrification is the most effective solution for busy commuter routes, heavy freight or high-speed passenger operation, as the amount of energy required to move the trains is substantial.
Most diesel locos built since 1980 have electric traction motors and even Germany-based Vossloh Locomotives (now owned by Chinese firm CRRC), which built diesel-hydraulic locos into the 21st century, now only makes diesel-electric locos with plans for hybrid battery-electric versions in the near future.
As almost all new trains have electric traction motors, storing electricity becomes important where there are no overhead wires to return any excess power. So battery technology is key to replacing diesel, whether the batteries are connected to an electric loco or unit, to hydrogen fuel cells, or even to a diesel engine.
Battery or hydrogen-powered trains are Valleys and in the north of the Netherlands; widescale BEMU operation is planned in Germany.
Hydrogen as a fuel source features heavily in many recent Governmental announcements around the world, both for transport and the manufacturing industry. So far, however, there is no real plan for making hydrogen in large quantities in a carbon neutral way, and all the experience from around the world suggests it will not be cheap. also useful on
