Freight Diesel Traction Realities
The title of this post is the same as that of a comprehensive article by Roger Ford in an article in the April 2019 Edition of Modern Railways.
In the article Roger talks about the problems of decarbonising the freight sector on the UK’s railways.
Future Traction
This section in the article begins with this paragraph
Since the laws of physics and chemistry rule out pure battery or hydrogen fuel cell 3 MegaWatt (4,000 hp) freight locomotives from around 2035 we are going to need to start replacing the diesel locomotives for routes yet to be electrified.
The following actions are suggested.
- More electrification, through a rolling program.
- Research into and production of low-CO2 locomotives.
- 4000 hp locomotives to run faster, longer and heavier freight trains.
These actions will apply to many countries in Europe and the wider world.
Hybrid
This section in the article begins with these two paragraphs.
Extension of electrification will reduce the length of the last miles beyond the end of the wires, making increased use of electric traction viable. Here the challenge will be to provide sufficient diesel traction power and range. Stadler’s Class 93 ‘tri-mode’ locotive provides an interesting preview.
It builds on the Class 88, which adds a 700kW diesel engine to a 4MW Bo-Bo electric locomotive.
The Class 93 locomotive has a larger 900 kW diesel engine and a lithium titanate oxide battery.
I estimated the battery size at 126 kWH in Stadler’s New Tri-Mode Class 93 Locomotive.
Roger reckons that the battery gives 6-7 ,minutes of power to boost output to 1,740 hp or 1300 kW.
- The boost from the battery would appear to be 400 kW
- For 6.5 minutes this would need 43.3 kWH
Either Roger’s 6-7 minutes or my deduced battery size of 126 kWH is wrong. So I will assume both figures are wrong.
Suppose though, you wanted to boost the power of a Class 93 locomotive to the 2,500 kW of a Class 66 locomotive for an hour, which would get a freight train into or out of the Port of Felixstowe.
- 1600 kW will be needed to boost the diesel engine.
- 1600 kWH will need to be stored in the battery.
- I will assume 75 Wh/Kg for the LTO batteries.
- I have made no allowance for the use of regenerative braking.
This gives a weight of 21.3 tonnes for the batteries.
Roger says this in the article.
If you need to fit diesel engines and batteries into an electric locomotive for freight the a Co-Co configuration gives you another 20 tonnes on a 17.5 tonne axle load.
This leads me to believe that a hybrid locomotive with the power of a Class 66 locomotive and a range of one hour is possible.
‘Compelling Case’ Put Forward For £4bn Metro Network For Cambridgeshire
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first two paragraphs.
There is a “compelling case” for a metro scheme for Greater Cambridge after a feasibility report has claimed it could create 100,000 jobs and 60,000 new homes, but could cost £4bn.
The feasibility study was commissioned by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), and mayor James Palmer declared there was a compelling case for the new regional transport network covering 88 miles.
Other details of the Cambridge Autonomous Metro include.
- Turn-Up-and-Go service.
- It would use trackless electric vehicles.
- Across Cambridge in twelve minutes.
- 7.5 miles of underground corridors under the City.
- Cambourne, Haverhill, Huntingdon, Mildenhall, St. Ives, St. Neots and Waterbeach would be served.
I think that the route network is feasible and if any City in England can fund such a scheme it is Cambridge.
I can see the point about trackless electric vehicles, as illustrated by this picture.
It looks to me, that the track is just a road with a cycle track alongside.
But would it be better to use tram-trains and the Karlsruhe model?
- This would enable the system to use the heavy rail tracks to Bury St. Edmunds, Ely, March, Newmarket and Wisbech.
- Bury St. Edmunds certainly needs a frequent service to Cambridge.
- East West Rail Consortium has a plan for a Parkway station on the A14, which needs a frequent connection to Cambridge.
- The technology is proven.
Hopefully, tram-trains have been rejected for good reasons.
But does the proposed system fit well with the East-West Rail Link.
Stadler Rail to launch IPO
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the International Rail Journal.
I feel that from an engineering point of view the company has a bright future, as they seem to have their fingers in a lot of innovative pies.
But whether that makes the company a good investment, I’ll leave to the experts.
Integration Of High-Speed And Commuter Services Out Of Kings Cross Station
The East Coast Main Line ECML) has the following services on the Southern section between Kings Cross and Peterborough.
- Express services capable of at least 125 mph running from LNER , Grand Central, Hull Trains and other Open Access operators.
- Great Northern services capable of 110 mph running between Kings Cross and Cambridge and Ely.
- Great Northern services to Peterborough appear to have been discontinued.
- Thameslink services capable of 100 mph running between Kings Cross and Cambridge and Peterborough.
It would appear that the slower Great Northern and Thameslink services will get in the way of the faster trains, if they need to use the fast lines.
The Digswell Viaduct
A particular problem will be the double-track section of line through Welwyn North station and over the Digswell Viaduct.
There are two Great Northern and six Thameslink services in each hour, that are not capable of operating at 125 mph on the double-track section.
Following the logic of Oxford and Bedwyn services out of Paddington, which are now run by 125 mph Class 802 trains, I feel that timetabling would be easier on the ECML, if there were 125 mph trains running Great Northern and Thameslink services to Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough.
I explored 125 mph services to Kings Lynn in Call For ETCS On King’s Lynn Route, after reading about a proposal in Rail Magazine. They certainly look like they’d give advantages.
Some idiot decided that Thameslink services were fine with a 100 mph top speed. They should have been 110 mph or even faster trains, so that they could cross the Digswell Viaduct without slowing high speed services.
Digital Signalling
Digital signalling will be installed on the Southern section of the East Coast Main Line
This could ease the problem of the double-track section, as all trains should eventually be timed more precisely.
More Use Of The Hertford Loop
Perhaps some or all of the six 100 mph Thameslink services, could use an upgraded Hertford Loop Line, which will be fitted with digital signalling.
125 mph Trains
In a last resort, it would surely be more affordable to run 125 mph commuter trains to Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough, than put put two extra tracks on the Digswell Viaduct.
Vivarail Unveils Fast Charging System For Class 230 Battery Trains
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Technology.
A few points from the article.
- Class 230 trains running on battery power have a range of sixty miles.
- Fully charging the train takes seven minutes.
- Short lengths of third and fourth-rail are used.
- Power is provided from a battery bank, which is trickle charged.
I feel this paragraph describes the key feature.
The automatic technique utilises a carbon ceramic shoe, which is capable of withstanding the significant amount of heat generated during the process.
The article finishes with a quote from Vivarail CEO Adrian Shooter.
I know how important it is to the public and the industry as a whole to phase out diesel units and our battery train is paving the way for that to take place today not tomorrow.
Consider.
- Alstom, Bombardier, Siemens and Stadler have built or are building third-rail powered trains for the UK.
- Bombardier, Porterbrook and Stadler are developing battery-powered trains for the UK.
- Trickle-charging of the secondary batteries could be performed by mains power or a local renewable source like wind or solar.
- Control electronics can make this a very safe system, with low risk of anybody being hurt from the electrical systems.
I’ve said it before, but I think that Vivarail may have some very important technology here.
If I have a worry, it is that unscrupulous companies and countries will probably find a way round any patent.
Platforms Have Been Renumbered At Tottenham Hale Station
Tottenham Hale station is currently a two-platform station, with a third platform due to open in May to provide extra services to Meridian Water station.
I took this picture as I passed through on Monday.
So now, the two platforms are numbered 3 and 4.
I suppose the new platform will be numbered 2, with platform 1 reserved for when they four-track the West Anglia Main Line.
Using Platform 12 At Stratford Station
Normally, if you take a train between Tottenham Hale and Stratford station, it terminates in Platform 11.
However, on Monday, I ended up in Platform 12.
Note there was no staff or information anywhere to be seen. Passengers were roaming aimlessly looking for the next train to the North.
I was not inconvenienced, as I was going to Marks and Spencer in Eastfield to get some food.
On enquiring at the London Overground Information Desk, it appeared there had been some signal problems, so they had swapped platforms.
The Anonymous Widower 