Porterbrook: Modified Trains Have A Role To Play
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine
Poterbrook are talking about reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The problem is that building a new electric train produces around 146 tonnes of CO2, whilst maintenance produces around 2-3 tonnes of CO2 annually.
- CO2 produced in a 20 year lifetime in construction and maintenance is 196 tonnes or 9.8 tonnes per year.
- CO2 produced in a 40 year lifetime in construction and maintenance is 246 tonnes or 6.15 tonnes per year.
So if you can prolong the useful life of a train by modifying the train at say twenty years, you could save carbon dioxide emissions.
Surely, this calculation must work for cars, earth-moving equipment and food-mixers.
The longer something lasts, the less will be the CO2 emissions per year.
Varamis Plans Electric Freight To Carry Light Goods
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in Issue 902 of Rail Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Freight trains using electric multiple units could be operating on the East Coast Main Line by the end of the year, in plans unveiled by Varamis Rail.
This is their promotional video.
From the video and the Rail Magazine article, the following can be ascertained.
The Route
From the video, the basic route is circular and the concept is explained in the article, by Phil Read; the Managing Director of Varamis Rail.
Our vision is to create a circular network around the UK via both the East Coast Main Line and West Coast Main Line, with a stop/go method of service delivery serving major towns and cities en route.
And we could move goods in both directions.
Longer term, there could be extensions to Bristol and South Wales and into East Anglia.
Note.
- From the video is looks like the main loop will start and finish in London.
- Trains on the main loop will call at Doncaster, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle, Manchester and Birmingham.
- Varamis have said they will stick to electrified lines.
I like the concept of the route.
- It covers a lot of the country.
- It can be easily extended.
- Extra stops could be easily added. Darlington, Leeds, Peterborough, Preston and Reading come to mind.
With dual-voltage trains, it could even be extended South of London.
The Trains And The Organisation
Varamis are certainly looking to keep the operation efficient and low-cost. This is said about the trains.
The plan is to remove all the internal furnishings in the umits we lease utilise them without altering any of the loading or dynamic characteristics that the trains had when formerly used as passenger trains. I’m in discussions with rolling stock leasing companies and the DfT at present to lease the trains.
The DfT owns all 40 Class 365 trains.
In addition, the following is said.
- Maintenance would be outsourced, with one of two likely companies.
- Operations Director will be appointed soon.
- Company headquarters would be in Doncaster.
- Varamis will employ all their own staff, including drivers, fitters and logistics operators.
A small point is that Phil Read has worked for the Rail Operations Group.
Class 365 Trains
Class 365 trains have the following characteristics.
- Four cars
- Up to three trains can be coupled together.
- 100 mph operating speed.
- Two pairs of wide double doors on the side of each car.
- They are not a train with a reputation for unreliability.
This is a picture of a Class 365 train.
Note.
- They could probably be converted to dual-voltage, by adding third-rail gear.
- The trains could probably be made available at short-notice.
The company talks about an end-on cross-transfer system at their hubs, where goods can be moved through the train.
I will be interested to see what this means, but I suspect it will give a quick and easy transfer of pallets of goods between trains and the trucks doing the local delivery.
Green Logistics
Varamis are marketing their services as Green Logistics.
Conclusion
As someone, who needed this sort of system in the early days of Metier to distribute new copies of the Artemis software, I think the service will fulfil a large need.
I said earlier that I like the concept of the route.
But thinking about it more, I suspect it can be very easily extended.
- Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton could be served by dual-voltage trains.
- Could for instance a hub in Edinburgh, distribute pallets and parcels to and from the North of Scotland?
- Could bi-mode trains serve the towns and cities on the Midland Main Line?
- A connection to Heathrow would be very valuable.
A large proportion of the country could be connected.
If it existed now, would it help in the fight against COVID-19?
Manchester Metrolink Opens Trafford Park Line
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The 5·5 km Manchester Metrolink light rail extension to the Trafford Centre shopping complex was opened for revenue service on March 22, around seven months ahead of the original target date.
I had hoped to go up to Manchester on the day it opened to take a few pictures, but COVID-19 kyboshed that!
Short-Notice Spaghetti Trains Organised To get Pasta Across The Alps
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
DB Schenker has organised the transport of several hundred tonnes of pasta by rail from Italy to Germany, enabling 650 Aldi supermarkets to replenish supplies which had been depleted by customers stocking up during the coronavirus pandemic.
I can’t help feeling that this story pays homage to Richard Dimbleby‘s classic April Fool story about the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland.
The Anonymous Widower 