Zillertalbahn Hydrogen Plan Dropped In Favour Of Battery Traction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
I wrote about this order in Zillertalbahn Orders Stadler Hydrogen-Powered Trains.
I didn’t blog about it but I remembered an article a few years ago about Stadler getting an order from the Zillertalbahn.
It appears the change is down to improvements in battery technology.
Narrow-gauge battery-electric multiple units must be right up Stadler’s street, as they built the new trains for the narrow gauge Glasgow Subway.
Third Rail Or Batteries Could Replace Southern Diesel Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
I first wrote about the Uckfield Branch eight years ago, in Future-Proofing The Uckfield Branch.
Since then I have written about this branch several times and I have also read several articles in the railway press.
These are some of my posts.
- Discontinuous Electrification Using IPEMUs – April 30th, 2016
- Will Innovative Electrification Be Used On The Uckfield Line? – August 24th, 1917
- Battery Trains On The Uckfield Branch – August 26th, 2018
- Battery Electrostars And The Uckfield Branch – September 30th, 2019
- Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And The Uckfield Branch – November 12th, 2021
- Electroflex Battery EMU Plan To End Southern Diesel Operation – January 22nd, 2020
- Uckfield Third Rail Is NR Priority – May 2nd, 2022
- Southeastern Keen On Battery EMUs – August 12th. 2023
It is an utter disgrace that no decision has been made in eight years about how to decarbonise to Uckfield.
The Railway Gazette article says this about third-rail electrification.
GTR is one of two operators participating in a Rail Safety & Standards Board project reviewing the safety, legal and regulatory issues around third rail electrification infill projects. This is looking at whole transport system safety, project and economic risks.
Bi-monthly South of England Diesel Replacement Programme meetings are held by DfT, Network Rail and GTR to review progress and options for third rail electrification of the Uckfield line or battery train trials. This includes reviewing the lessons learned from the use of bi-mode trains by GWR and LNER, and the failed attempt to deploy tri-mode Class 769 units on GWR’s North Downs services.
Could it just be that there is such fear that there will be a major incident, where several people are killed, that third-rail electrification is always turned down, by the Office of Road and Rail?
The Railway Gazette article also says this about battery trains, under a heading of Batteries Viable.
In the absence of electrification, GTR says battery powered trains are also a viable option for its diesel routes. Batteries can be charged while trains are running on electrified lines or through a rapid recharging facility at a terminus, although additional infrastructure and electrical upgrades may be needed.
I suspect that after a few teething troubles, Merseyrail would agree.
Hydrogen is also dismissed with this paragraph.
GTR has considered hydrogen but says it can only be considered a net zero-compliant fuel if it is produced from low or zero-carbon energy sources. It is also relatively inefficient with studies indicating an efficiency rate of around 35% to 40%.
It looks to me, that battery-electric trains are a viable solution.
So would it not be a good idea to take the decision to create a battery-electric prototype from a four-car Electrostar or a Class 350 train, so that the final decision can be taken after everybody on the committee has have a ride first?
Better still, why not stage a competition, where manufacturers, leasing companies or remanufacturers can build a four-car train and enter.
Allow the public to ride in them and then see what is best against a range of criteria.
The King could even get involved, as he’s probably one of the few people left, who rode the original British Rail BEMU between Aberdeen and Ballater, to get to Balmoral.
Fire Safety Of Battery-Electric Vehicles
I notice that there has been talk of fires in battery-electric vehicles on this blog.
So I thought I’d put up a post with an appropriate topic.
There are some things that already could worry me.
- Vivarail had a fire early on.
- The Merseyrail Class 777 trains go in the tunnels under Liverpool.
- The new Piccadilly Line trains will have batteries.
- Did electric vehicle batteries contribute to the ferocity of the fire in the Luton Airport car park?
- Fire brigades are getting very worried about e-scooter and e-bike fires.
- This page on the Internet gives details of recent BESS fires.
- Do we investigate fires and publish the results properly?
I have some questions.
- Would it be sensible to have nationwide database of all batteries?
- Should we use more non-lithium methods in large stationary batteries?
- Should we use more capacitors?
- Should we make it a criminal offence to build or use a non-compliant e-bike or e-scooter?
- Should installing a battery in your house, need a safety certificate?
One half of me says yes and the other says no, to some of these questions.
Great Western Railway’s Battery Train Sets New Distance Record
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Great Western Railway.
This is the sub-heading.
Great Western Railway’s innovative FastCharge battery trial has achieved another significant step – just days after laying claim to a battery train UK distance record without recharging.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
The train demonstrated its capability on Wednesday by travelling a UK record of 86 miles (138km) on battery power alone and without recharging.
Today the Class 230 battery train completed a 70-mile move from Long Marston to Reading Train Care Depot – using just 45 per cent of its battery capacity. GWR’s team of specialist engineers on board the train claim it could have travelled more than 120 miles on a single charge.
There is also this impressive video.
Note.
- In the video, the train is cruising at 36 mph.
- The top speed of the D78 Stock was 45 mph.
- The train looks in excellent condition.
This is a total game-changer for battery-electric trains in the UK.
The train makers, who have demonstrated battery-electric trains; Alstom/Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler will have to up their distances on battery power to at least 86 miles and possibly 120 miles, as who would want their new product to be outdistanced by second-hand forty-year-old upcycled London Underground trains?
I have some further thoughts.
The Trains Performance In The Real World
Dr. Simon Green, who is GWR’s Engineering Director, said this.
It’s also worth noting that in reaching the 86 miles on Wednesday, the train was operating in a real-world environment, at speeds of up to 60mph, stopping and starting over a hilly route, with elevation changes of up to 200m.
The train exceeded the 84 miles (135km) recorded by a Stadler Class 777 under test conditions in 2022 – believed to have been the greatest distance travelled by a battery train designed for the UK.
Note that the train was running at up to 60 mph.
Timings For The Mid-Cornwall Metro
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
I have been looking at the Mid-Cornwall Metro and this service will share the Cornish Main Line with faster services between Par and Truro.
- Expresses and the Mid-Cornwall Metro will both stop at Par, St. Austell and Truro.
- Par and Truro is a distance of 19 miles.
- Expresses between Penzance and Plymouth take around 22-23 minutes to go between Par and Truro.
- This is an average speed of around 50-52 mph.
It looks to me, that there is scope for the Mid-Cornwall Metro and the express trains to run at similar speeds between Par and Truro.
- If the Mid-Cornwall Metro used Class 230 trains running on batteries, these trains should be fast enough to keep out of the way of the expresses.
- Par station has an island platform, where the Mid-Cornwall Metro uses one side (Platform 3) and expresses use the other (Platform 2).
Perhaps, if the timetable was something like this, it would give the best services to passengers.
- All expresses would use Platform 2, if they were stopping at Par station. The current track layout allows this.
- For Westbound passengers the Mid-Cornwall Metro would stop in Platform 3 and the express would stop in Platform 2, so that passengers going to beyond Truro on the Cornish Main Line could to the express on the other platform.
- Between Par and Truro, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would run a couple of minutes behind the express.
- Passengers for the Falmouth Branch could swap trains at Par on wait for the Metro at St. Austell or Truro.
- For Eastbound passengers, between Par and Truro, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would run a couple of minutes behind the express.
- At Par, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would stop in Platform 3 and the express would stop in Platform 2.
- The express would wait at Par for the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
- Passengers for Plymouth and London Paddington would change trains at Par for the express on the other platform.
- Passengers for the Newquay Branch on the express would swap trains at Par or wait for the Metro at St. Austell or Truro.
I suspect there are other patterns, but something like this will combine express services with the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
Simon’s Vision
Simon Green also says this about his vision of how the trains and the related FastCharge technology could be used.
GWR’s FastCharge technology has been designed to solve the problem of delivering reliable, battery-only trains capable of fulfilling timetable services on branch lines, eliminating the use of diesel traction and helping to meet the Government and wider rail industry’s target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The use of batteries for extended operation has typically been constrained by their range and meant widespread implementation has, until now, not been possible. It also negates the need for overhead electric lines which are expensive, time consuming to install and impact the landscape.
He’s judging the system as a whole, which is the only way to do it.
Where Could Class 230 Trains Be Used On The Great Western Railway?
These are a few ideas.
- Slough and Windsor & Eton Central – 2.8 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Slough
- Maidenhead and Marlow – 7.1 miles – 2 or possibly 3 cars – FastCharge at Maidenhead
- Twyford and Henley-on-Thames – 4.6 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Twyford
- Reading and Basingstoke – 15.4 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Basingstoke
- Weston-super-Mare and Severn Beach – 32.5 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Severn Beach
- Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth 8.9 miles – 2 cars – FastCharge at Avonmouth
Bourne End station, where there is a reverse may restrict the length of the service to Marlow.
Newquay Station – 9/10th February 2024
These pictures show Newquay station.
Note.
- It is a small one-platform station.
- It has a few facilities.
- It is located on the main street in the centre of the town.
This Google Map shows Newquay station.
Newquay station appears to have a very long platform.
- This page on Railway Data gives a length of 242 metres.
- It should accommodate a nine-car Class 802 train.
- The station is also close to the beach.
It looks to me that Newquay station is ready for a big surfing festival.
I have a few thoughts.
Adding A Second Platform
These pictures show the space alongside the current single track. At least for a five-car train.
Note.
- I would expect that adding a second platform could be easily done by a competent and experienced construction company.
- There would need to be new track and a set of points, so that a train could use either platform.
- Signalling would be added, so both platforms could be used, either separately or at the same time.
I also expect that the Tregoss Loop would need to be commissioned before the second platform.
Adding Charging For Battery-Electric Trains
Consider.
In GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery, I talked about the installation of the Vivarail/GWR Fast Charge system at West Ealing station.
In Decarbonising The Mid-Cornwall Metro, I talked about using the Vivarail/GWR Fast Charge system or hydrogen to decarbonise the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
This picture shows the Vivarail/GWR Fast Charge system at West Ealing station.
I feel there would be no problem fitting one of these in one or both of the platforms at Newquay.
But I do feel that the best way to decarbonise services to Newquay, would be to fully-electrify Par station with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Mid-Cornwall Metro services would charge their batteries using a pantograph, every time that they reversed in the station.
- Long distance battery-electric services through the station would top up their batteries during a stop at the station.
- Locomotives with batteries will be increasingly used on freight services and charging may be needed for the locomotives used from china clay trains.
Note.
- Par and Falmouth Docks is 30.8 miles.
- Par and Newquay is 20.8 miles.
- Par and Penzance is 44.8 miles
- Par and Plymouth is 34.7 miles.
- Par and Truro is 19 miles.
Par would appear to be a station, that could be easy to electrify and is conveniently placed in the heart of services through Cornwall.
Decarbonising The Mid-Cornwall Metro
Although the Mid-Cornwall Metro will probably run initially using what diesel multiple units, after a year or so, the route will be converted to zero-carbon operation.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
These are current timings.
- By train can take almost three hours with changes at Par and Truro.
- By car should take 45 minutes to drive the 24.4 miles according to Google.
Note.
- The train timings are for a typical British Rail-era Diesel Multiple Unit on the branches and something smarter between Truro and Par.
- A Day Return ticket would cost £8.90 without a Railcard.
- If there was a through train, that meant you didn’t have to change trains, I estimate that the time could be as low as one hour and 35 minutes.
I feel that most travellers, who had access to a car, would use that to travel between Newquay and Truro.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks By Electric Train
I have ridden in three battery-electric trains.
- Class 379 train – Manningtree and Harwich in passenger service.
- Class 230 train – Vivarail demonstration
- Class 777 train- Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane in passenger service.
Note.
- All were mouse-quiet.
- There was no detectable difference, when running on battery power in the trains.
It is my view that battery-electric trains are no second-class solution.
Consider.
- Newquay and Par is 20.8 miles.
- Falmouth Docks and Par is 30.8 miles.
- Newquay and Falmouth Docks is 51.6 miles.
- The maximum speed between Par and Newquay is around 30 mph
- The maximum speed between Par and Falmouth Docks is around 50-70 mph
- There are twelve intermediate stations.
- There is a reverse at Par station.
- Charging would be easy to install at Falmouth Docks, Newquay and Par.
- In Par Station – 10th February 2024, I suggested that Par station could be fully-electrified, so that expresses could have a Splash-and-Dash on their way to London and Penzance. If all platforms at Par were electrified the Mid-Cornwall Metro trains could charge from the electrification, as they reversed.
There are two main ways that the Mid-Cornwall Metro might operate.
- There would be chargers at Newquay and Falmouth Docks and trains would shuttle the 51.6 miles between the two stations.
- There would only be charging at Par and trains would after charging at Par go alternatively to Newquay and Falmouth Docks.
The first might need smaller batteries and the second would only need one charger.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks By Hydrogen-Powered Train
There is only one hydrogen-powered train in service and that is the Alstom Coradia iLint, which is running in Germany.
I feel it is very much an interim design, as Alstom has taken a diesel-mechanical Lint train and swapped the diesel for a hydrogen-powered electricity generator and an electric motor.
But Alstom are putting together a hydrogen-powered train based on an Aventra.
Note.
- The train is three cars.
- I would envisage performance of the hydrogen train would be very similar to that of a similar battery-electric train.
- I wouldn’t be surprised that refuelling of the train would not be a problem, as with all the china clay working nearby, there may well be developments to use hydrogen in the industry to decarbonise the mining.
The Mid-Cornwall Metro and Alstom’s Hydrogen Aventra could be ideal for each other.
Conclusion
I believe, that although the Mid-Cornwall Metro will start operation with diesel multiple units, it will be running in a zero-carbon mode within a few years.
Smart Train Lease Aims ‘To Make Renting Trains As Easy And Simple As Renting A Car’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
These four paragraphs outline the scheme.
Siemens Mobility has established a leasing subsidiary that would enable train operators to use its Mireo Smart battery, hydrogen and electric multiple-units without needing to make long-term investment commitments.
Smart Train Lease GmbH would make available at short notice multiple-units already approved for operation. These could be short or medium-term leases, with services such as maintenance available as part of the package. The aim is to provide operators with an economical way to quickly and flexibly expand their fleets and try out more sustainable traction technologies.
‘We want to make renting trains as easy and simple as renting a car, and thus help accelerate the mobility transition’, the leasing company’s CEO Benjamin Dobernecker explained on February 14.
Smart Train Lease will initially operate in Germany, although it plans to expand throughout Europe in the medium term.
I like this idea and I think it will work.
Metier Management Systems And Artemis
When four of us started Metier Management Systems in 1977 to sell our mini-computer-based project management system; Artemis, we generally rented or leased our systems, although we did sell some as the years progressed.
- For a fixed fee per month, a company got a project management computer and all the software.
- The fixed fee included installation, first line support, training and software updates.
- We could also supply extra training and project management consultancy at appropriate rates.
- The only extra costs to the client were the electricity to power the hardware and the paper to put in the printer.
- We also allowed clients to convert leases into outright sales.
This simple sales model appealed to a lot of our clients.
- The cost of the system was easy to budget.
- Many of our clients were happy with leasing or renting computer equipment.
- As the system was desk-sized, it easily fitted the average office.
But the leasing model was very advantageous to us.
- Most of our clients were large high-value quality organisations like big oil companies, nationalised industries and engineering consultancies.
- Our Finance Director and our Bank Manager at Lloyds Bank devised a plan, whereby we bundled a number of high-quality leases together and sold the bundle to Lloyds Bank’s leasing company.
The money we received gave us a healthy cash flow.
- The cash flow was then used to fund Research and Development and to finance more sales.
- If say someone like BP or Shell should phone up or send a fax, wanting a system immediately, we were generally able to fulfil their request.
I am sure that Siemens Mobility will be using a similar model.
They will aim to have trains in stock to fulfil clients needs.
So if Deutsche Bahn phone up saying have you got a three-car battery-electric train that works with 15 KVAC and has a range of 100 kilometres for next Monday, Siemens Mobility can generally say yes.
What helps is that the modular Mireo Smart multiple unit comes in battery, hydrogen and electric versions.
Extras could include full servicing a driver.
So Siemens Mobility will plug the train together and deliver it.
How Would Siemens Use The Leasing Model In Great Britain?
Consider.
- There are a lot of routes that need to be decarbonised in Great Britain.
- Many of these routes have electrification at one or both ends.
- Often these routes terminate in a bay platform.
- On most of these routes a two-, three-, four- or five-car train will be sufficient capacity.
- In the Desiro City, Siemens have a train, that is acceptable to Great Britain.
- If routes in Great Britain are to be electrified, they must be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Trains would be 100 mph, so they wouldn’t be limited as to routes.
- A Mireo-B has a range of between 80-100 kilometres or 49.7-74.6 miles.
I am sure Siemens Desiro City or its European equivalent; Mireo can be developed into a family of trains suitable for GB!
- The basic train would be two driving cars.
- Length would be increased by coupling trailer cars between the two driving cars.
- Hydrogen power would be in one of the trailers.
- Batteries would be under an appropriate number of cars.
Battery trains would be able to use a simple automatic charger, similar to the one, that I described in GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery.
An Example – Mid-Cornwall Metro
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
Consider.
- Newquay and Par is 20.8 miles.
- Falmouth Docks and Par is 30.8 miles.
- Newquay and Falmouth Docks is 51.6 miles.
- The maximum speed between Par and Newquay is around 30 mph
- The maximum speed between Par and Falmouth Docks is around 50-70 mph
- There are twelve intermediate stations.
- There is a reverse at Par station.
- Charging would be easy to install at Falmouth Docks, Newquay and Par.
- In Par Station – 10th February 2024, I suggested that Par station could be fully-electrified, so that expresses could have a Splash-and-Dash on their way to London and Penzance. If all platforms at Par were electrified the Mid-Cornwall Metro trains could charge from the electrification, as they reversed.
There are two main ways that the Mid-Cornwall Metro might operate.
- There would be chargers at Newquay and Falmouth Docks and trains would shuttle the 51.6 miles between the two stations.
- There would only be charging at Par and trains would after charging at Par go alternatively to Newquay and Falmouth Docks.
The first might need smaller batteries and the second would only need one charger.
An Example – Uckfield Branch
The Uckfield branch is in Southern England.
- It is not electrified between Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield, which is 24.7 miles.
- There are eight intermediate stations.
- The line can accommodate ten-car trains.
There is space at Uckfield station for a charger.
Charging would be at Uckfield station and North of Hurst Green Junction, where it will use the existing electrification.
Conclusions
This leasing/rental model will surely encourage train operators to replace diesels with appropriate zero-carbon alternatives on routes that need to be decarbonised.
GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the sub-heading.
Great Western Railway (GWR) has begun trialling a potentially groundbreaking battery innovation called FastCharge. If the trial is successful, it is hoped that the technology could transform branch line services and accelerate the decarbonisation of the network.
This is the first paragraph.
This innovative system, which has been developed over three years, eliminates the need for diesel trains on branch lines by powering battery-operated units with ultra-rapid charging. The system boasts an impressive 2,000kW charging capacity, eight times more powerful than a Tesla Supercharger, allowing trains to fully recharge in just 3.5 minutes at West Ealing station, the trial’s first real-world location.
I took these pictures of the trial installation at West Ealing station, this morning.
Note.
- Platform 5 is used by the trains to and from Greenford station.
- Two sets of charging rails have been installed between the rails, in Platform 5.
- The rails in the charging rails could be aluminium. This would not be surprising, as it is a good electrical conductor.
- The two shorter outside charging rails could be connected together.
- The yellow parts of the charging rails are plastic, so are probably for warning purposes.
- Two white containers have been installed alongside the track.
In Great Western Railway Updates EHRT On Its Upcoming Operational Trial Of Fast Charge Tech, I described the components of the Fast Charge system in this paragraph.
The Fast Charge system consists of three key components: retractable charging shoe gear, which is mounted to the underframe of the train; short (4m) charging rails mounted between the underframe of the train; and the Fast Charge Battery Bank (FCBB) installed beside the track, acting as an energy buffer between the train and the grid.
The charging rails are clearly visible in my images and the Fast Charge Battery Bank is probably in the white containers.
These are my thoughts.
The Engineering Is Of A High Quality
Or it certainly appears so from the platform and in the pictures, that I took.
How Much Energy Will Be Taken On Board at Each Charge At West Ealing?
According to the Rail Technology Magazine article, the Fast Charge Battery Bank will have to supply 2,000 KW for 3.5 minutes to fully-charge the train at West Ealing station.
This is 7,000 KW-minutes or 117 KWh.
In D-Train Order For Marston Vale Confirmed, this is said about the batteries on a Class 230 train.
- The train has four battery rafts, each with a capacity of 106 kWh
- Range is up to fifty miles with a ten minute charge at each end of the journey.
- Range will increase as battery technology improves.
I wonder if the Class 230 train, that will run between West Ealing and Greenford, will only have one 106 kWh battery.
- This will be less weight and therefor better acceleration.
- 117 kWh in the Fast Charge Battery Bank will be sufficient to fully-charge the single battery.
- The route is only five miles for a round trip.
I can see costs dropping.
What Batteries Will Be Used In The Fast Charge Battery Bank?
I think there are four main possibilities.
- New lithium-ion batteries
- Refurbished second-hand electric vehicle batteries
- New lead-acid batteries.
- It might be possible to use supercapacitors
Note.
- Lead-acid batteries can lose charge in cold weather.
- Supercapacitors don’t care about the weather.
- The weight of lead-acid batteries would not be a problem in a stationary application.
If there is only one battery on the train, I can see the supercapacitors handling it.
What Voltage Is Used In The Charging Rails?
Consider.
- The Vivarail Class 230 trains are built from redundant London Underground D78 Stock trains.
- The D78 Stock trains were built to run on London Underground lines, when that had voltages of 0 and 630 VDC.
- So I wouldn’t be surprised if the trains were designed around this voltage.
- If the charging rails worked at 630 VDC, then to have a 2,000kW charger, this would mean a charging current of 3175 Amps.
This would explain the fat cables connecting the charging rails to the Fast Charge Battery Bank.
An alternative voltage to use could be 3,000 VDC, as some trains are built to this voltage and therefor the electronics and transformers must be available. This would reduce the charging current to 667 Amps, which might be able to use smaller cables.
It may come down to what is convenient for the output voltage of the batteries.
Why Are There Two Sets Of Charging Rails?
They are both shown in this image.
Note.
- The two sets of charging rails are about forty metres apart.
- The Fast Charge Battery Banks are another twenty metres further on.
It’s not the layout you’d expect for running a single two-car train running every half hour.
But could it be that two separate sets of charging rails can operate a more frequent service with this layout of charging rails?
Battery Traction Trial Ahead As TransPennine Express Fortunes Improve
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the sub-heading.
Overcrowding and short-notice cancellations at state-owned TransPennine Express have declined since the December timetable change, prompting Managing Director Chris Jackson to suggest the operator is in a ‘better place’.
It is a must-read article and the section called Battery Power Trial, says this.
Meanwhile, the Class 802 trainset which was damaged in a shunting accident in March 2022 remains out of traffic. Although No 802 207 has now been repaired, it will not be returning to service yet, as it is receiving modifications for use as a battery testbed.
This will see a 6 m long, 2·2 m wide battery module installed in place of one of the existing engines, which will improve fuel efficiency by using two diesel powerpacks rather than three.
The battery module will provide top-up power for peak demand and give regenerative braking capability when operating in diesel mode, which the trains currently do not have. Arrival and departure at stations is also to be trialled in battery mode to assess noise and air-quality improvements. The train is planned to re-enter traffic in December.
‘We’re supplying that unit to support what we think is a sensible industry scheme to look at whether we can do something to move from bi-mode to tri-mode, which could be beneficial for the industry from a green perspective’, Jackson confirms.
That looks to be a good plan, but I can’t help feeling that battery power for the Class 802 trains has been a long time coming.
This press release from Hitachi is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%, which announced the project was published on the 15th December 2020.
It will be four years from when Hitachi and Eversholt Rail said go, before the prototype is running.
Is this why LNER bought their new trains from CAF?
Designing A Battery-Powered Mountain Goat
When I wrote Up To Ebbw Vale From Newport, this comment was posted.
I’m not surprised that the Class 150 train, had no difficulty in climbing up to Ebbw Vale Town. The max gradient is around 1 in 65. There are plenty of places in Britain where gradients are steeper and indeed part of the type test for all dmus was to climb the 2 mile, 1 in 37.7 Lickey Incline starting a couple of hundred metres before the beginning of the slope.
It certainly got me thinking.
Could a line like Newport and Ebbw Vale be decarbonised, by simply fitting batteries to an appropriately-sized electric train?
- The battery would be charged using the 25 KVAC overhead electrification in Newport station.
- The train would climb the hill to Ebbw Vale Town on battery power.
- Coming down the regenerative braking would charge the battery.
- Once in the platform at Newport station, the battery would be topped up, to the level needed to climb the hill, from the existing electrification.
The question is can the train carry enough juice in a battery?
I will work the example through with a three-car Class 331 train.
- I have chosen a Class 331 train, as CAF have a factory in Newport.
- The train weighs 30.48 tonnes.
- It has 213 seats.
- If I assume that each passenger is 80 Kg including baggage, bikes and buggies, that gives a mass of 17.04 tonnes or a total mass of 47.08 tonnes.
- The difference in altitude between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport is 764 feet.
Using Omni’s Potential Energy Calculator, that gives a value of 29.9 kWh.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks from Newport to Pye Corner.
Note.
- Red tracks are electrified and black ones are not.
- Newport station is in the North-East corner of the map, with the South Wales Main Line running through.
- Pye Corner station is marked by the blue arrow and is the first station on the climb to Ebbw Vale.
- The unelectrified Ebbw Vale branch has a triangular junction with the electrified South Wales Main Line.
- The electrification continues for a short way towards Pye Corner and goes all the way to Newport and Cardiff.
- Trains take 24 minutes to turn round in Newport.
- Newport and Ebbw Vale Town is about twenty miles.
It can be safely said that trains will start their climb to Ebbw Vale with a full battery.
What Battery Size Will Be Needed?
I don’t think it will be that large and it will be the smallest battery, that could take a train up the hill.
As part of the climb is double track, the up track could be electrified to enable a smaller battery to be used, which would mean less power would be needed, due to the lower weight.
Conclusion
I believe that it will be possible to fit CAF’s Class 331 trains with a battery large enough to take a train up the hill to Ebbw Vale Town.
The Anonymous Widower 