Universal Hydrogen And Railway Locomotives
On the product page of the Universal Hydrogen web site, there is a section, which is entitled Other Transportation Applications, where this is said.
Our lightweight, aviation-grade modular hydrogen capsules can be used in a wide range of transportation applications where weight, safety, and speed of refueling are important. We are working with partners in automotive, heavy equipment, maritime, and railroad domains. If you have an application that can benefit from our global modular green hydrogen distribution network, please get in touch!
I believe that the railway locomotive of the future will be hydrogen-electric. And so do some of the UK’s rail freight companies, judging, by some of their press releases.
- It would have an electric transmission. like most locomotives today, such as the UK’s Class 66, Class 68, Class 70, Class 88, Class 93 and the upcoming Class 99 locomotives.
- It will be able to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists.
- Hydrogen-power will be used, where there is no electrification.
The lowest-carbon of the locomotives, that I listed, will probably be the Class 99 locomotive.
- Thirty have been ordered by GB Railfreight, from Swiss company; Stadler.
- The locomotives will be built at Valencia in Spain.
- It will have up to 6 MW, when running using electrification.
- It will have up to 1.6 MW, when running using a Cummins diesel, with a rating of 2,150 hp.
- Because a proportion of UK freight routes are electrified, it is likely that these locomotives will substantially reduce carbon emissions for many locomotive-hauled operations.
It should be noted that Cummins are heavily into hydrogen and their philosophy seems to embrace families of engines, which are identical below the cylinder head gasket, but with appropriate cylinder heads and fuel systems, they can run on diesel, natural gas or hydrogen.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the Class 99 locomotive will have a diesel engine, that has a hydrogen-powered sibling under development at Cummins.
With perhaps a power on hydrogen of about 2.5 MW, these zero-carbon locomotives would be able to handle upwards of ninety percent of all heavy freight trains in the UK.
These are further thoughts.
Alternatives To Cummins Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines
There are two main alternatives, in addition to similar engines from companies like Caterpillar, JCB, Rolls-Royce mtu and others.
- Fuel cells
- Gas-turbine engines.
Note.
- Universal Hydrogen and others have fuel cells, that can probably deliver 2.5 MW.
- Universal Hydrogen use Plug Power fuel cells.
- Rolls-Royce have developed a 2.5 MW electrical generator, based on the engine in a Super Hercules, that is about the size of a typical beer-keg. I wrote about this generator in What Does 2.5 MW Look Like?.
Cummins may be in the pole position with Stadler, but there are interesting ideas out there!
Cummins have also indicated, they will build hydrogen internal combustion engines at Darlington in the UK.
Would One Of Universal Hydrogen’s Hydrogen Capsules Fit In A Railway Locomotive?
These are various widths.
- Class 66 locomotive – 2.63 metres.
- ATR72 airliner – 2.57 metres.
- DHC Dash-8 airliner – 2.52 metres
- Class 43 power car – 2.74 metres
I suspect that even if it was a bit smaller a hydrogen capsule could be made for a UK locomotive.
How Big Is The Market?
The UK has around five hundred diesel railway locomotives.
Could Chiltern Go Battery-Electric?
In the October 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled Chiltern Considers Turbo Future, with a sub-title of Battery Replacement Could Be On The Cards.
These are the first two paragraphs.
In early September Chiltern Railways was preparing to launch a market sounding exercise to consider options for the future of the Class 165 Turbo DMU fleet.
The operator has 28×2-car and 11×3-car ‘165s’. which operate alongside its more modern Class 168 DMUs and its loco-hauled sets. The market sounding exercise will consider two options for the future of the fleet – some sort of hybrid conversion, or outright replacement.
The Class 165 Trains
The Class 165 trains were built in 1990-1991.
- Maximum Speed – 75 mph
- Prime Movers – One per car, Perkins 2006-TWH
- 2-car Trains – 28
- 3-car Trains – 11
One is being converted to a diesel/battery hybrid.
The Class 168 Trains
The Class 168 trains were built in 1998-2004.
- Maximum Speed – 100 mph
- Prime Movers – One per car, MTU 6R 183TD13H
- 2-car Trains – 9
- 3-car Trains – 8
- 4-car Trains – 11
One has been converted to a diesel/battery hybrid.
Conversion To Hybrid Operation
If this proves to be feasible, it will surely be the more affordable of the two options.
But it does leave Chiltern with a mixed fleet with two types of train with different maximum speeds and these lengths.
- 2-car Trains – 37
- 3-car Trains – 19
- 4-car Trains – 11
Would a fleet of similar trains, with perhaps a maximum speed of 100 mph, be better operationally?
Battery-Electric Operation
The Modern Railways article introduces the concept of battery-electric operation with this paragraph.
If a replacement fleet is considered the best option for the Turbo units, the replacements could take the form of a straight battery EMU, taking advantage of recent advances in ‘fast charge’ technology.
The article also says this about battery technology and electrification.
There is optimism that advances in battery technology will provide a smooth pathway to decarbonise Chiltern’s operations – the company serves the only non-electrified London terminus.
In the longer-term, it is hoped electrification from Birmingham to Banbury as part of a strategy to decarbonise CrossCountry and freight services would enable Chiltern to run a battery EMU on London to Birmingham duties, running under battery power as far north as Banbury and switching to overhead wires from there, both powering the unit and enabling the batteries to be recharged.
The Modern Railways article looked at each route and I will do this in more detail.
London Marylebone And Aylesbury via High Wycombe
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 40 miles.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone and Aylesbury stations.
London Marylebone And Aylesbury Vale Parkway
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 41 miles.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations.
It might be better to electrify between Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations.
London Marylebone And Banbury
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 69 miles.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone and Banbury stations.
Leamington Spa And Birmingham Moor Street
Assuming the Birmingham and Banbury section of the route is electrified, this route will be electrified.
London Marylebone And Birmingham Moor Street Or Birmingham Snow Hill
Assuming the Birmingham and Banbury section of the route is electrified, this route can be considered to be in two sections.
- London Marylebone and Banbury – Battery operation – 69 miles
- Banbury and Birmingham – Electric operation – 42 miles
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone station and on the electrified section.
London Marylebone And Gerrards Cross
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 19 miles or 38 miles both ways.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone station.
London Marylebone And High Wycombe
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 28 miles or 56 miles both ways.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone station.
London Marylebone And Oxford
London Marylebone and Oxford would be under battery operation for 66.8 miles.
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone and Oxford stations.
London Marylebone And Stratford-upon-Avon
Assuming the Birmingham and Banbury section of the route is electrified, this route can be considered to be in two sections.
- London Marylebone and Banbury – Battery operation – 69 miles
- Banbury and Hatton Junction – Electric operation – 26 miles
- Hatton Junction and Stratford-upon-Avon – Battery operation – 9 miles
Trains would be charged at London Marylebone station and on the electrified section.
Chiltern’s Mainline Service
Chiltern’s Mainline service between London and Birmingham is run by either a Class 68 locomotive pulling a rake of six Mark 3 coaches and a driving van trailer or two or three Class 168 trains.
As the locomotive-hauled train is about eight coaches, it could surely be replaced by two four-car multiple units working together.
I believe that if Chiltern obtained a fleet of four-car battery electric trains, this would be the most efficient fleets for all their routes.
Charging At London Marylebone Station
I took these pictures at Marylebone station today.
Note.
- It is a surprisingly spacious station and I feel that Furrer+Frey or some other specialist company could add some form of charging to the platforms.
- Charging would probably performed using the train’s pantograph.
It appears that the turnround time in Marylebone is typically twelve minutes or more, which should be adequate to fully charge a train.
Conclusion
Both solutions will work for Chiltern.
But I prefer the new battery-electric train, which has some crucial advantages.
- Battery-electric trains will be quieter than hybrid trains.
- Marylebone station has a noise problem and battery-electric trains are very quiet.
- Chiltern have ambitions to built new platforms at Old Oak Common and to serve Paddington. This could be easier with a battery electric train.
Rhe only disadvantage is that Banbury and Birmingham would need to be electrified.
Class 99 Electro-Diesel Locomotive Order Confirmed
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This first paragraph gives details of the order.
GB Railfreight, leasing company Beacon Rail and Stadler have signed an agreement for the supply of 30 Class 99 six-axle electro-diesel locomotives for entry into service from 2025. The operator said they would the first electro-diesel locomotives capable of hauling heavy freight at main line speeds on the UK network.
The article also gives these technical details of the Class 99 locomotives.
- Ability to operate under 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Up to 6,000 kW under electrification.
- Maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph)
- ‘high-power low-emissions’ Stage V diesel engine.
- Tractive effort of up to 500 kN
- The locomotives will be compatible with British the UK loading gauge and specifications.
This document on the Stadler web site is the specification for the Stadler Euro Dual locomotives, that have been sold to German operator; HVLE.
These are some technical details.
- Ability to operate under 25 KVAC overhead electrification or 15 KVAC German overhead electrification.
- Up to 6,000 kW under electrification.
- Maximum speed of 120 km/h
- Caterpillar C175-16 Stage IIIB diesel engine.
- Engine output of 2,800 kW
- Tractive effort of up to 500 kN
- A Euro Dual locomotive has a length of 23 metres
- A Euro Dual locomotive has a 3,500 litre fuel tank.
Wikipedia gives details of a Stadler Class 68 locomotive, which is shown in this picture.
These are some details.
- There are 34 Class 68 locomotives in service in the UK.
- Caterpillar C175-16 Stage IIIB diesel engine.
- Engine output of 2,800 kW
- A Class 68 locomotive has a 5,000 litre fuel tank.
- A Class 68 locomotive has a length of 20.5 metres.
- It should be noted, that a Class 66 locomotive has an engine output of 2,500 kW.
These are my thoughts on the design and specification of the Class 99 locomotive.
The Diesel Engine
The Class 68 and the Euro Dual appear to have a diesel engine, with these specifications.
- Caterpillar C175-16 Stage IIIB diesel engine.
- Engine output of 2,800 kW
Whereas the Class 99 locomotive is stated as having a ‘high-power low-emissions’ Stage V diesel engine.
So have Stadler fitted the latest Caterpillar C175-16 Stage V diesel engine into a Class 99 locomotive?
This would surely be likely, as any reputable diesel engine company would strive to reduce the emissions of their engines and make them compatible with the latest regulations.
Will 2,800 kW Be Enough Power On Diesel?
If the Class 99 locomotive has 2,800 kW from the latest Caterpillar diesel engine, this is the same as for a Class 68 and the Euro Dual, so it is likely to be enough power.
It is also more power, than is available from a Class 66 locomotive.
What Will Be The Length Of The Class 99 Locomotive?
It does appear that the Class 68 locomotive is 20.5 metres long and the Euro Dual is 23 metres long.
But this is not really unexpected as the Euro Dual has two larger three-axle bogies.
I suspect to use the equipment layout of the Euro Dual, that the Class 99 locomotive could be 23 metres long.
What About The UK Loading Gauge?
When it came to designing the Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives, Stadler had no difficulty fitting all the gubbins in a 20.5 metre package.
If I am right in surmising that a Class 99 locomotive will be longer because of its larger bogies, I suspect that modern computer-aided design will enable Stadler to create a locomotive, that will fit the UK loading gauge.
Conclusion
It does appear that a design based around the latest version of a Caterpillar C175-16 will be possible.
A Chiltern Class 68 Locomotive At Marylebone Station
As I was passing through Marylebone station, I took these pictures of a very clean Class 68 locomotive.
If I’m going to Birmingham, I generally use Chiltern, as often you get to travel in one of these well-restored Mark 3 coaches hauled by a Class 68 locomotive.
With the Mark 3 coach, you get a full size table and a large window to enjoy the countryside.
- The Class 68 locomotives were all built by Stadler in Spain, within the last ten years.
- The UK has a fleet of 34 Class 68 locomotives.
- They are powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine.
- The only problem with the trains is that the Class 68 locomotives are diesel.
But is Caterpillar working on a simple solution?
Search the Internet for “Caterpillar Hydrogen” and you find press releases and other items, like this press release, which is entitled Caterpillar to Expand Hydrogen-Powered Solutions to Customers.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out, that Stadler and Caterpillar were working on a program to provide a solution to convert Class 68 locomotives to hydrogen.
Union Pacific Railroad Makes Largest Investment In Wabtec’s FLXdrive Battery-Electric Locomotive
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Union Pacific.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) today announced the purchase of 10 FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives from Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB). The order, which marks the largest investment in battery technology by a North American railroad, will upgrade Union Pacific’s rail yard infrastructure and support its commitment to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“As an industry leader, Union Pacific is pioneering a major application of battery power in its rail yards,” said Rafael Santana, President and CEO for Wabtec. “Battery power is an ideal solution to reduce the environmental impact and costs of yard operations. Using the FLXdrive in the rail yard can significantly improve local air quality, as well as reduce noise by up to 70% for neighboring communities.”
The approximately 2.5-MWh locomotives are each powered solely by 7,000 battery cells, providing Union Pacific a zero-emission solution for its yard operations. The 10 FLXdrives will enable the railroad to eliminate 4,000 tons of carbon annually from its rail yards, the equivalent of removing 800 cars from the highway. The new locomotives will be manufactured in the United States with the first units being delivered to Union Pacific in late 2023.
It would appear that the major use will be in their rail yards.
There is also this second press release from Union Pacific, which is entitled Union Pacific Railroad To Assemble World’s Largest Carrier-Owned Battery-Electric Locomotive Fleet.
This is the first paragraph.
Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) today announced plans to purchase 20 battery-electric locomotives for testing in yard operations. The combined purchases and upgrades to yard infrastructure are expected to exceed $100 million, representing the largest investment in battery-electric technology by a U.S. Class I railroad. The locomotives will be acquired from Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, and Wabtec Corporation (NYSE:WAB), two companies at the forefront of locomotive innovation, and will be the world’s largest carrier-owned battery-electric locomotive fleet in freight service.
The press release also says that Union Pacific will be netzero by 2050.
Conclusion
All of this action in the United States and Australia with battery-electric locomotives, from two manufacturers; Progress Rail and Wabtec, leads me to the conclusion, that proposals to create battery-electric locomotives from Class 66 or Class 68 locomotives in the UK, will soon be being discussed by the owners of the locomotives and Wabtec and Stadler.
The Future Of The Class 68 Locomotives
This post has been brought on by the comments to two posts I have written today.
- Direct Rail Services Disposes Of Heritage Locomotives
- Suppliers Sought For New Bi-Mode Locomotives For TransPennine Express And Great Western Railway
Both Direct Rail Services and TransPennine Express are major users of Class 68 locomotives, with each having a fleet of fourteen locomotives.
In addition, Chiltern Railways has a smaller fleet of six locomotives.
- Direct Rail Services use their locomotives for various passenger and freight duties, including the important one of moving nuclear material around the country.
- TransPennine Express use their locomotives on their passenger services across the North of England.
- Chiltern Railways use their locomotives on their passenger services between London and Birmingham and sometimes Oxford.
The design was a bespoke one by Stadler for Direct Rail Services and the first one entered service in 2014.
The picture shows one of TransPennine’s Class 68 locomotives at Scarborough. As the picture shows, they are a smart and purposeful-looking locomotive, that wouldn’t look out of place in the right livery on the front of the Royal Train.
It has some good features.
- It is a 100 mph locomotive.
- It seems to be well-liked by operators.
- It can haul both passenger and freight trains.
- It can act as a Thunderbird or rescue locomotive.
But they have three problems; emissions, noise and diesel.
This is from Wikipedia.
The locomotive’s propulsion system is compliant with Stage III A of the European emission standards, but not the more stringent Stage III B requirements.
But noise is a another problem and this has caused council action in Scarborough.
More important than emissions or noise, is the fact, that the locomotive is diesel-powered, so the fleet will probably have to be retired from the railway, at a time, when there is still useful life left in the locomotives.
The Class 68 locomotive is a member of the Stadler Eurolight family, of which there are three versions.
All follow similar design principles, differing mainly in dimensions, with Spain, Taiwan and the UK ordering upwards of twenty-thirty locomotives.
The UKLight branch of the family has two other members.
The Class 88 locomotive is an electro-diesel version of the Class 68 locomotive and the development of the design is described in this extract from the Class 88 locomotive’s Wikipedia entry.
Amid the fulfillment of DRS’ order for the Class 68, Stadler’s team proposed the development of a dual-mode locomotive that could be alternatively powered by an onboard diesel engine or via electricity supplied from overhead lines (OHLE). Having been impressed by the concept, DRS opted to place an order for ten Class 88s during September 2013. Having been developed alongside the Class 68, considerable similarities are shared between the two locomotives, amounting to roughly 70 percent of all components being shared.
According to Wikipedia, the type had a smooth entry into service.
The Class 93 locomotive will be the next development of the UKLight branch of the family, when it is delivered in 2023.
It will be a tri-mode locomotive, that will be capable of being powered by 25 KVAC overhead electrification, an onboard diesel engine and batteries.
It will be a 110 mph locomotive.
It can haul both passenger and freight trains.
Rail Operations Group have ordered 30 locomotives.
This is the first paragraph of the section in Wikipedia called Specification.
The Class 93 locomotive has been developed to satisfy a requirement for a fast freight locomotive that uses electric power while under the wires, but is also capable of self-powered operations. Accordingly, it is capable of running on diesel engines, from overhead wires, or from its onboard batteries. These batteries, which occupy the space used for the braking resistors in the Class 88, are charged via the onboard transformer or regenerative braking; when the batteries are fully charged, the locomotive only has its friction brakes available. The diesel engine is a six-cylinder Caterpillar C32 turbocharged power unit, rated at 900 kW, conforming with the EU97/68 stage V emission standard. The batteries units are made of Lithium Titanate Oxide and use a liquid cooling solution, enabling rapid charge and discharge.
It is a truly agnostic locomotive, that can take its power from anywhere.
The last paragraph of the specification compares the locomotive to the Class 66 locomotive.
In comparison with the Class 66, the Class 93 can outperform it in various metrics. In addition to a higher top speed, the locomotive possesses greater acceleration and far lower operating costs, consuming only a third of the fuel of a Class 66 along with lower track access charges due to its lower weight. ROG has postulated that it presents a superior business case, particularly for intermodal rail freight operations, while also being better suited for mixed-traffic operations as well. Each locomotive has a reported rough cost of £4 million.
It is no ordinary locomotive and it will change rail freight operations in the UK.
I have a feeling that the Class 93 locomotive could be a lower-carbon replacement for the Class 68 locomotive.
But I also believe that what Stadler have learned in the development of the Class 93 locomotive can be applied to the Class 68 locomotive to convert them into zero-carbon locomotives.
It may be just a matter of throwing out the diesel engine and the related gubbins and replacing them with a large battery. This process seems to have worked with Wabtec’s conversion of diesel locomotives to FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives.
Suppliers Sought For New Bi-Mode Locomotives For TransPennine Express And Great Western Railway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These three paragraphs give a summary of the proposed fleet of locomotives required by First Group for their two operations.
TransPennine Express is looking for expressions of interest from suppliers for a fleet of at least 15 bi-mode locomotives for use on with its Mk5 carriages.
The provision released by First Group is for up to 30 bi-mode locomotives, with an additional 5 for use on Great Western Railway’s Sleeper Service.
The operators say that the new locomotives must have the capability to be powered by overhead wires as well as being able to operate with an alternate traction mode, IE Diesel or Battery, where routes are not yet electrified or for use as a contingency.
I have also read the detailed proposal, which can be downloaded from this page of the First Group web site.
- The locomotives must be capable of hauling a train at 100 mph.
- First Group are putting a high emphasis on environmental impact of the locomotives.
- The locomotives must be compatible with the latest emission regulations.
- The locomotives must be low-noise.
- The locomotives must be capable of hauling seven coaches, including a driving van trailer.
Nothing in the request for proposals would appear to be too challenging.
I have some thoughts.
The Number Of Locomotives For TransPennine Express
Currently, TransPennine Express has a fleet of fourteen Class 68 locomotives and enough coaches and driving van trailers to create thirteen rakes of Mark 5A coaches.
So why do TransPennine Express talk of up to thirty locomotives?
- Fifteen locomotives would handle the current services, so thirty could cover new services or more services on the current locomotive-hauled routes.
- Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes and Manchester Piccadilly and Hull are run by Class 185 diesel trains, which will need replacing at some future time.
- First Group probably know the costs of running Class 802 trains and locomotives with rakes of coaches better than anyone , so are they thinking about swapping some Class 802 trains for locomotives with rakes of coaches?
The last point would be one for the accountants.
But I am led to the conclusion, that TransPennine Express could be expanding and also decarbonising the long routes still operated by Class 185 trains.
The Number Of Locomotives For Great Western Railway
Currently, Great Western Railway has a fleet of four Class 57 locomotives to haul the Night Riviera.
Five replacement locomotives would probably be enough.
Could A Battery-Electric Locomotive Handle The TransPennine Express Requirement?
Currently, there are gaps in the electrification of the TransPennine network.
- Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge – 7.7 miles – Electrification in progress
- Stalybridge and Huddersfield – 18 miles
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrification in progress
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.1 miles
- Leeds and York – 25.6 – Electrification in progress
- Northallerton and Redcar – 28.8 miles
- Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge – 7.5 miles
- Leeds and Hull – 51.8 miles
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 72.1 miles
- Scarborough and York – 42 miles
- Doncaster and Sheffield – 18.7 miles
- Sheffield and Stockport – 36.8 miles – Rumoured to be electrified
Note.
- Many gaps are quite small.
- The longest gaps are on easy routes.
- Sheffield will be electrified for the Midland Main Line.
- A length of electrification at Scunthorpe could ease Doncaster and Cleethorpes.
I feel that a battery-electric locomotive with a range of a hundred miles hauling seven coaches, would be able to handle all the TransPennine routes.
If the train could run the routes with an electricity consumption of 4 kWh per vehicle-mile, seven coaches would need 4 * 8 * 100 = 3.2 MWh of battery storage.
Note.
- A 3.2 MWh battery would weigh around 3.2 tonnes, which would be less than the diesel engine in a Class 68 locomotive.
- Regenerative braking to batteries could be used to improve range.
- In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 Or 100 mph?, I calculated that an InterCity 125 needs 1.81 kWh per vehicle mile to maintain 100 mph.
I am fairly certain, that a well-designed efficient battery-electric locomotive would be able to handle all of the routes for TransPennine Express.
Could A Battery-Electric Locomotive Handle The Night Riviera?
I have just looked up the Southbound Night Riviera on Real Time Trains.
- It leaves Paddington at 23:50.
- It is typically eight coaches and a Class 57 locomotive.
- The train is planned to run at 75 mph.
- The first 53 miles between Paddington and Newbury are electrified.
- There is a stop of one hour and 39 minutes at Exeter.
- Newbury and Exeter is 120.4 miles
- Exeter and Penzance is 130.8 miles
The Northbound Night Riviera only has a five minute stop at Exeter and two minutes stops at Totnes, Newton Abbott and Taunton.
A battery-electric locomotive would need a range of 140 miles hauling eight coaches.
- Some stops like Plymouth may need to be lengthened by a few minutes to charge the batteries.
- Extra stops of perhaps five minutes could be added to top-up the batteries.
- The train would be limited to 75 mph, which would improve efficiency.
- It might even be prudent to electrify the uphill track of some of the steeper parts of the route.
But think of the marketing advantages of a zero-carbon sleeper train!
Conclusion
When I saw First Group’s proposals, I thought that they were over ambitious.
But after doing a few simple calculations, I think they can decarbonise some, but not all of the TransPennine Express services and the Night Riviera.
Direct Rail Services Disposes Of Heritage Locomotives
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
Direct Rail Services, the rail arm of Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), has announced details of its much-anticipated plan to sell off some of its heritage fleet of locomotives and coaching stock.
The main job of Direct Rail Services is to move nuclear fuel and other cargoes around the country in support of the UK’s nuclear industry. For this purpose, they have a substantial fleet of over fifty modern Class 66, Class 68 and Class 88 locomotives, which seem to have taken over from the heritage fleet, which are now starting to be passed on to other operators.
Direct Rail Services also tend to be the odd-job men and innovators of the traction business.
- They have provided modern motive power for both regular, charter and replacement passenger services.
- They haul freight trains for supermarkets and others.
- They sub-lease Class 68 locomotives to other operators.
- Both the Class 68 and Class 88 locomotives are 100 mph-capable, which must widen their markets.
- They have supplied locomotives for Thunderbird duties.
- They are happy to specify a new locomotive and bring it into service, as they did with the Class 68 and Class 88.
According to Wikipedia, they have issued a tender for a further ten new-build diesel-electric locomotives.
Will these be an existing design or another new design?
This is a section of the Wikipedia entry for the Class 88 locomotive.
Akin to the Class 68, the Class 88 can achieve a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), sufficient for regular passenger operations, while operating under OHLE, it has a power output of 4,000 kW (5,400 hp). Under diesel power, provided by its 12-cylinder Caterpillar C27, it has a maximum power output of 708 kW (949 hp); however, the maximum tractive effort is available in either mode. The locomotive’s engine, which is compliant with the current EU Stage IIIB emission restrictions, has limited available power as a result of the customer’s choice to give the Class 88 comparable power to a traditional Class 20.
It almost looks like a design for all purposes.
- It can pull a passenger train at 100 mph.
- With the right rolling stock, it must be able to pull a freight train at 100 mph.
- A 100 mph freight capability must be very useful on double-track electrified main lines like the East and West Coast Main Lines, where it would increase capacity.
- It probably has enough power to drag a freight train out of the depot on to an electrified main line.
- The locomotive would appear to be able to do anything that one of Direct Rail Services’s Class 20 locomotives can do, which would surely enable it to pick-up a nuclear flask from a remote power station.
- But it would also be able to transport the flask back to Cumbria using electric power, where it is available.
- In ’88’ Makes Sizewell Debut, I describe how a Class 88 locomotive moved a flask from Sizewell to Crewe.
- It is compliant with the latest emission regulations.
- It can use regenerative braking, where the electrification can handle it.
I wonder, if Direct Rail Services are going to add a locomotive to their fleet, that is capable of bringing the longest and heaviest freight trains out of the Port of Felixstowe.
- The Felixstowe Branch is a fairly flat track.
- The only moderately severe gradients ae either side of the Spring Road Viaduct.
- Some electrification could be added.
- A 100 mph freight capability would help in increasing the capacity of the Great Eastern Main Line to and from London.
The right locomotive might be able to haul smaller freight trains between Felixstowe and Peterborough.
Conclusion
There has been no news about the extra ten locomotives that Direct Rail Services will order.
The company has form in designing the right locomotive for the job they will do.
I think, that when the order is placed, it could add another type of locomotive to Direct Rail Services’s fleet.
Will Zero-Carbon Freight Trains Be Powered By Battery, Electric Or Hydrogen Locomotives?
These are a few initial thoughts.
We Will Not Have A One-Size-Fits-All Solution
If you consider the various freight and other duties, where diesel locomotives are used, you get a long list.
- Light freight, where perhaps a Class 66 locomotive moves a few wagons full of stone to support track maintenance.
- Intermodal freight, where a Class 66 locomotive moves a long train of containers across the country.
- Stone trains, where a Class 59 or Class 70 locomotive moves a very heavy train of aggregate across the country.
- Empty stock movements, where a diesel locomotive moves an electrical multiple unit.
- Supporting Network Rail with trains like the New Measurement Train, which is hauled by two diesel Class 43 power cars.
- Passenger trains at up to and over 100 mph.
I can see a need for several types of zero-carbon locomotive.
- A light freight locomotive.
- A medium freight locomotive, that is capable of hauling many intermodal trains across the country and would also be capable of hauling passenger services.
- A heavy freight locomotive, capable of hauling the heaviest freight trains.
- A Class 43 power car replacement, which would probably be a conversion of the existing power cars. Everybody loves InterCity 125s and there are over a hundred power cars in regular service on railways in the UK.
There are probably others.
The UK Hydrogen Network Is Growing
Regularly, there are news items about companies in the UK, who will be providing green hydrogen to fuel cars, vans, buses, trucks and trains.
Hydrogen is becoming a fuel with a much higher availability.
The UK Electricity Network Is Growing And Getting More Resilient
We are seeing more wind and solar farms and energy storage being added to the UK electricity network.
The ability to support large numbers of battery-electric buses, cars, trucks and trains in a reliable manner, is getting more resilient and much more comprehensive.
There Will Be More Railway Electrification
This will happen and installation will be more innovative. But predicting where electrification will be installed, will be very difficult.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells Now Have Rivals
Hydrogen fuel cells are normally used to convert hydrogen gas to electricity.
But over the last few years, alternative technology has evolved, which may offer better methods of generating electricity from hydrogen.
- Rolls Royce have developed a beer keg-sized 2.5 MW generator, that could run on hydrogen, which I wrote about in Our Sustainability Journey.
- Honeywell are possibly going the same route, which I wrote about in Honeywell Introduces Power Source For Hybrid-Electric Aircraft.
- JCB have converted diesel engines to run on hydrogen, which I wrote about in JCB Finds Cheap Way To Run Digger Using Hydrogen.
- Caterpiller, Cummins and Rolls-Royce mtu are showing signs of taking a similar route to JCB.
Fuel cells will not be having it all their own way.
Batteries Are Improving Their Energy Density
This is inevitable. and you are starting to see improvements in the fabrication of the battery packs to get more kWh into the space available.
In Wrightbus Presents Their First Battery-Electric Bus, I said this about the Forsee batteries used in the new buses from Wrightbus.
The Forsee brochure for the ZEN SLIM batteries gives an energy density of 166 Wh per Kg. This means that the weight of the 454 kWh battery is around 3.7 tonnes.
A one-tonne battery would have a capacity of 166 kWh.
- It is the highest value I’ve so far found.
- Technology is likely to improve.
- Other battery manufacturers will be striving to match it.
For these reasons, in the rest of this post, I will use this figure.
Some Example Locomotives
In this section, I shall look at some possible locomotives.
Conversion Of A Class 43 Power Car
There are two Class 43 power cars in each InterCity 125 train.
- The diesel engine is rated at 1678 kW.
- The transmission is fully electric.
- These days, they generally don’t haul more than five or six intermediate Mark 3 coaches.
I would see that the biggest problem in converting to battery power being providing the means to charge the batteries.
I suspect that these power cars would be converted to hydrogen, if they are converted to zero-carbon.
- I would estimate that there is space for hydrogen tanks and a small gas-turbine generator in the back of the power car.
- Much of the existing transmission could be retained.
- A zero-carbon power car would certainly fit their main use in Scotland and the South-West of England.
- I doubt hydrogen refuelling would be a problem.
They may even attract other operators to use the locomotives.
A Battery-Electric Locomotive Based on A Stadler Class 88 Locomotive
I am using this Class 88 locomotive as a starting point, as the locomotive is powerful, reliable and was built specifically for UK railways. There are also ten already in service in the UK.
In Thoughts On A Battery Electric Class 88 Locomotive On TransPennine Routes, I started the article like this.
In Issue 864 of Rail Magazine, there is an article, which is entitled Johnson Targets A Bi-Mode Future.
As someone, who has examined the mathematics of battery-powered trains for several years, I wonder if the Age of the Hybrid Battery/Electric Locomotive is closer than we think.
A Battery/Electric Class 88 Locomotive
After reading Dual Mode Delight (RM Issue 863), it would appear that a Class 88 locomotive is a powerful and reliable locomotive.
-
- It is a Bo-Bo locomotive with a weight of 86.1 tonnes and an axle load of 21.5 tonnes.
- It has a rating on electricity of 4,000 kW.
- It is a genuine 100 mph locomotive when working from 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The locomotive has regenerative braking, when working using electrification.
- It would appear the weight of the diesel engine is around seven tonnes
- The closely-related Class 68 locomotive has a 5,600 litre fuel tank and full of diesel would weight nearly five tonnes.
The locomotive would appear to be carrying between 7 and 12 tonnes of diesel-related gubbins.
Suppose that the diesel-related gubbins of the Class 88 locomotive were to be replaced with a ten tonne battery.
Using the Forsee figures, that I quoted earlier, this battery would hold 1660 kWh.
At the power level of the 700 kW of the Caterpillar C27 diesel engine in the Class 88 locomotive, that would give more than two hours power.
It looks to me, that a battery-electric Class 88 locomotive could be a very useful locomotive.
It might even be able to haul freight trains in and out of the Port of Felixstowe, which would be a big advantage in decarbonising the port.
Certainly, methods to charge battery trains on the move, are being developed like the system from Hitachi ABB Power Grids, that put up short sections of 25 KVAC overhead electrification, which would be driven by a containerised power system.
These systems and others like them, may enable some battery-electric freight trains to work routes like.
- Felixstowe and Ipswich.
- Ipswich and Peterborough
- Peterborough and Nuneaton.
- Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
- Birmingham and Oxford
None of these routes are fully-electrified.
But because of the power limit imposed by the batteries, these locomotives will need to be recharged at points on the route.
This Google Map shows the Ipswich and Peterborough route crossing the Fen Line at Ely station.
Note.
- Ely Dock junction in the South-West corner, where the line from Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds joins the lines through Ely.
- Ely station towards the North-East corner of the map.
- Passenger trains run through the station.
But freight trains can take a route on the Eastern side of the station, which is not electrified.
At Ely station, a loop like this can be electrified using the existing electrification power supply, but at other places, systems like that from Hitachi ABB Power Grids can be used to electrify the loop or an appropriate section of the route.
These short sections of electrification will allow the train to progress on either electric or battery power.
A Hydrogen-Electric Locomotive Based on A Stadler Class 88 Locomotive
In The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive, I looked at creating a hydrogen-powered locomotive from a Class 68 locomotive.
I decided it was totally feasible to use readily available technology from companies like Rolls-Royce and Cummins to create a powerful hydrogen-powered locomotive.
The Class 68 locomotive is the diesel-only cousin of the electro-diesel Class 88 locomotive and they share a lot of components including the body-shell, the bogies and the traction system.
I suspect Stadler could create a Class 88 locomotive with these characteristics.
- 4 MW using electric power
- At least 2.5 MW using hydrogen power.
- Hydrogen power could come from Rolls-Royce’s 2.5 MW generator based on a small gas-turbine engine.
- 100 mph on both electricity and hydrogen.
- It would have power output on hydrogen roughly equal to a Class 66 locomotive on diesel.
- It would have a range comparable to a Class 68 locomotive on diesel.
This locomotive would be a zero-carbon Class 66 locomotive replacement for all duties.
A Larger And More Powerful Hydrogen-Electric Locomotive
I feel that for the largest intermodal and stone trains, that a larger hydrogen-electric locomotive will be needed.
With the way Wabtec are going in the United States, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a suitable locomotive cross the pond.
Conclusion
In the title of this post, I asked if freight locomotives of the future would be battery, electric or hydrogen.
I am sure of one thing, which is that all freight locomotives must be able to use electrification and if possible, that means both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail. Electrification will only increase in the future, making it necessary for most if not all locomotives in the future to be able to use it.
I feel there will be both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric locomotives, with the battery-electric locomotives towards the less powerful end.
Hydrogen-electric will certainly dominate at the heavy end.
DfT To Have Final Say On Huddersfield Rebuild Of Rail Station And Bridges
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
As part of the £1.4bn Transpennine Route Upgrade. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is to rule on planned changes to Huddersfield’s 19th century rail station and not the Kirklees council, in what is to be a huge revamp of the line between Manchester and York.
According to the article eight bridges are to be replaced or seriously modified.
As Huddersfield station (shown) is Grade I listed and three other Grade II listed buildings and structures are involved, I can see this project ending up with a substantial bill for lawyers.
But then, to have a world-class railway across the Pennines, a few eggs will need to be broken.
Electric Trains Across The Pennine
This page on the Network Rail web site describes the Huddersfield To Westtown (Dewsbury) Upgrade.
When the upgrade and the related York To Church Fenton Improvement Scheme is completed, the TransPennine route between Huddersfield and York will be fully-electrified.
As Manchester To Stalybridge will also have been electrified, this will mean that the only section without electrification will be the eighteen miles across the Pennines between Stalybridge and Huddersfield.
Will this final eighteen miles ne electrified?
Eighteen miles with electrification at both ends will be a short jump for a Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, the specification of which is shown in this Hitachi infographic.
The Class 802 trains of TransPennine Express are able to be converted into these trains.
The trains could work these routes.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough
- Manchester Airport and Redcar
- Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh via Newcastle
- Manchester Airport and Newcastle
- Manchester Piccadilly and Hull
- Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes
Note.
- I suspect some more Class 802 trains with batteries will be needed.
- The trains would either use battery or diesel power to reach Hull, Redcar and Scarborough or there could be a few miles of electrification to stretch battery range.
- Will the Class 68 diesel locomotives be replaced with Class 93 tri-mode locomotives to haul the Mark 5A coaches to Scarborough.
- Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes could be a problem and will probably need some electrification around Sheffield and Grimsby.
This would just mean TransPennine’s two short routes to be decarbonised.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
- Huddersfield and Leeds
As except for the eighteen mile gap between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, these two routes are fully-electrified, I suspect that a battery-electric version of a 110 mph electric train like a Class 387 or Class 350 train could run these routes.
Conclusion
It looks like if these sections of the TransPennine Express network are upgraded and electrified.
- York and Church Fenton
- Huddersfield and Westtown
- Manchester and Staylebridge
Together with a few extra miles of electrification at strategic points, that TransPennine Express will be able to decarbonise.
The Anonymous Widower 