Toyota, Hitachi, JR East To Jointly Develop Hydrogen-Powered Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of yjis article on The Mainichi.
This is the first two paragraphs.
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Toyota Motor Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and East Japan Railway Co. said Tuesday they will jointly develop hydrogen-powered trains as part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The three companies have agreed to collaborate on development of test railway vehicles equipped with hybrid systems that use hydrogen-fuel cells and storage batteries as their source of power.
It appears that Toyota will provide the fuel cell technology.
Dutch Province To Introduce Regular Hydrogen Services
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the International Railway Journal.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The regional transport authority in the Dutch province of Groningen has announced plans to introduce hydrogen trains for its regional concession following a successful test earlier this year.
In March 2019, I went to Groningen and explored the railways in the area, where Stadler GTW trains are used for the train services.
These trains are a smaller version of Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains.
In The Train Station At The Northern End Of The Netherlands, I describe a visit to Eemshaven station to the North of Groningen.
I said this.
At the turnround at Eemshaven with the driver, he indicated that there had been speculation about battery and hydrogen trains in the North of The Netherlands.
It appears the driver was right.
The Bridge Over The Ems
The article also indicates that the bridge over the River Ems, that I wrote about in From Groningen To Leer By Train, could be opening soon.
This video shows what the new bridge will look like.
And this Google Map shows the current state of the bridge.
I’m not sure of the date of the picture, but there still appears a lot of work to do.
Hydrogen-Powered Train Makes UK Maiden Journey
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is said in the article.
A hydrogen-powered train has travelled on Britain’s rail network for the first time.
The prototype, called the Hydroflex, made a 25-mile round trip through Warwickshire and Worcestershire, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph.
Its next phase is to move the hydrogen tanks, fuel cell and battery out of a carriage and stash them underneath the train.
The aim is for the train to start carrying paying passengers by the end of 2021.
Note that the article contains a broadcast-quality video.
There are now two hydrogen-powered trains in development in the UK.
- This Class 799 train by Birmingham University and Porterbrook, which has been converted from a Class 319 train.
- The Class 600 train by Alstom, which is being converted from a Class 321 trains.
Both the trains being converted are British Rail trains based on the Mark 3 coach design.
- They were built originally in the 1980s and 1990s.
- They were built for commuting over medium distances.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- They will keep their pantographs, so running using 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
Both trains could be fitted with quality interiors.
But from what has been disclosed the designs will be quite different.
- The Class 799 train will be four cars, as opposed to three cars of the Class 600 train.
- The Class 600 trains will have large hydrogen tanks inside the train, whereas the Class 799 train will have smaller ones underneath the train.
- I would expect the Class 600 train to have a longer range between refuelling.
- The Class 799 train will also be a tri-mode train, with the ability to use 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
As there are nearly over a hundred Class 321 trains and nearly ninety Class 319 trains, if the hydrogen conversion is successful, we could be seeing a lot of hydrogen trains on the UK rail network.
Next Stop Hydrogen For New Rail Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Business Green.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Three British companies unite to develop new hydrogen fuelling infrastructure that could soon allow for the roll out of zero emission trains on the UK rail network.
Some points from the article.
- The three companies involved are Fuel Cell Systems Ltd, tpgroup, and Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions.
- Their initial focus will be on the rail industry.
It looks to be a good start to provide much-needed infrastructure.
Scotland’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Showcased At COP26 Summit
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Scotsman.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The zero emission train project will demonstrate how the country’s railways could be decarbonised by phasing out diesel within 15 years.
The train will be based on a withdrawn Class 314 train.
These trains entered service in 1979 and are certainly not the worst of that generation of British Rail electric trains.
It will be a tight timetable to get the train ready for the COP26 summit, which is scheduled for November 1-12 in 2021.
World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Train Hits The Rails In Austria
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Silicon Republic.
This is the first paragraph.
This week in future tech, an Alstom hydrogen-powered train will start taking passengers in Austria for the first time.
But for the covids, I’d be on my way tomorrow to do a bit of advanced-level trainspotting.
Hydrogen Can Be Transported By Rail, German Railway Company Says
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on PV Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A study by DB Energie shows that technically and legally there is nothing to be said against the transport of hydrogen by rail. However, there is still a lack of suitable transport containers.
I suppose though the lack of suitable transport containers makes it a bit difficult.
VDE Study Finds Battery Trains 35% Cheaper Than Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the International Railway Journal.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A study of the cost-effectiveness of battery electric multiple units (BEMU) and hydrogen electric multiple units (HEMU) as alternatives to diesel found that BEMUs could be up to €59m (35%) less expensive to buy and operate compared with their hydrogen fuel cell equivalents.
It also says that they are more expensive than the diesels they replace over thirty years.
As it is a professional German study, we should take note of what is said.
How Would This Apply To The UK?
There will be differences between the UK and Continental Europe, which will affect costs!
- Our small loading gauge seems to be making the design of hydrogen-powered trains difficult.
- Passenger capacity in a UK train, will probably be reduced when compared to the diesel equivalent.
- Our hydrogen technology is world-class.
- More affordable batteries would benefit both types of trains.
- I believe that companies like Vivarail, will come up with very fast and efficient chargers for battery trains using our third-rail technology, which may not be suitable outside the UK.
On balance though, I suspect that the cost difference worldwide, will be similar.
Conclusion
Companies, developers and engineers will fight a keen battle for supremacy.
There will be some suprising winners and some big losers.
Eversholt Rail And Alstom Invest A Further £1 Million In Breeze Hydrogen Train Programme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Alstom.
The major point made is that the train will be called a Class 600 train.
Beeching Reversal – Restoring A South Humber Link
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
The project is described by these two paragraphs in this article in the Yorkshire Post, which is entitled Government Announce Yorkshire Rail Schemes That Could Receive ‘Reverse Beeching’ Funding.
North Lincolnshire Council have bid for funding to subsidise a new train service that would allow passengers from Barton-on-Humber to travel to Gainsborough, from where they would be able to catch direct services to Sheffield.
This would be achieved by diverting the existing Barton to Grimsby and Cleethorpes trains up a freight-only section used by traffic heading to Immingham docks. There have never been passenger trains using this path before.
This rail map clipped from Wikipedia shows the Barton Line to Barton-on-Humber station.
Note.
- Barton-on-Humber station has a bus link to Hull station.
- The loop gives a grand tour of the Port of Immingham on what is now a freight-only line.
- There is a lot of development going on in the area including the AltAlto aviation biofuel, that I wrote about in Grant Shapps Announcement On Friday.
Perhaps all this development is causing a lot of small problems.
- Is it causing congestion on the roads?
- Are workers difficult to find in the Immingham area?
- Is commuting over the Humber Bridge expensive?
- Is parking difficult in the Port?
North Lincolnshire Council could feel that a better rail connection serving the Port of Immingham, would be an asset, that reduces these problems.
I suspect the current two-hourly service between Barton-on-Humber and Cleethorpes stations, will be replaced by an hourly one, between Barton-on-Humber and Gainsborough Lea Road stations, that takes the following route.
- Barton-on-Humber to Ulceby
- At Ulceby station the train will reverse and go clockwise around the loop.
- After calling at Great Coates, Healing, Stallingborough and Habrough stations, the train would go West to Barnetby and Gainsborough Lea Road stations.
- Passengers wanting to go from Barton-on-Humber to Grimsby Town or Cleethorpes, would change at Great Coates station.
It may look a rather round-about route, but I suspect that the plan includes some stations to serve the Port of Immingham and the industrial development.
I suspect that some of these port, oil, chemical and energy companies can afford to pay a contribution.
Gainsborough Lea Road Station
Gainsborough Lea Road station is a mix of architectural styles.
But with the addition of a friendly café and some other facilities, it would be a good interchange between the Immingham area and Sheffield and the county town of Lincoln.
Future Trains
Lincolnshire is an energy-rich county, which partly explains all the industrial development in the North-East of the county around Grimsby, Immingham and Scunthorpe.
- Immingham is a large importer of biomass for power generation.
- There are off-shore and on-shore gas fields connected to Theddlethorpe gas terminal.
- There is the large power station complex at Keadby.
But the energy mix is a-changing.
- Keadby now includes a solar farm.
- Wind turbines are springing up both on land and in the sea.
If I was to make a prediction, it would be that more and more large energy-related businesses will develop in the area.
- In recent months, Altalto’s waste-to-aviation biofuel plant has been given national and local government backing to be built at Immingham.
- ITM Power are involved in a hydrogen development project in the area.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see hydrogen produced for transport from all this energy.
I think it will be inevitable, that zero-carbon battery electric or hydrogen-powered trains will run in the area.
- Cleethorpes and Doncaster via Scunthorpe 52 miles apart.
- Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber are 23 miles apart
- Lincoln and Newark are 16.5 miles apart.
- Lincoln and Doncaster are 37 miles apart.
- Lincoln and Sheffield are 48 miles apart
- Lincoln and the electrification at Peterborough are 54 miles apart.
- Skegness and Sleaford are 41 miles apart.
- Sleaford and Grantham are 18 miles apart.
With charging facilities at Barton-on-Humber, Lincoln, Skegness and Sleaford, the whole of Lincolnshire could be served by zero-carbon battery electric trains.
I suspect LNER could lead the way, as a five-car Class 800 train equipped with batteries, is predicted to have a 56 mile range away from the wires, which would easily handle a return trip between Newark and Lincoln.
There could be a small problem, in that the first train of the day, between Lincoln and London Kings Cross positions from Doncaster Carr IEP Depot, so running Doncaster to Newark via Lincoln might challenge the battery range of the train. I suspect, that the positioning could be performed via Newark with a reverse, prior to the installation of a charging facility at Lincoln Central station.
I estimate that Barton-on-Humber and Gainsborough Lea Road stations are about 35 miles apart, so with today’s battery technology, I suspect that a round trip in a battery electric train would be on the limit. But with charging facilities at Gainsborough, there would be no problems.
I suspect that East Midlands Railway would use several of their forty diesel Class 170 trains on this and other routes in Lincolnshire, so perhaps a good interim solution would be to run the Class 170 trains on Altalto’s biodiesel, that will be produced at Immingham.
There is also the possibility, that some or all of the Class 170 trains will be retrofitted with MTU Hybrid PowerPacks, which would cut their diesel consumption.
Surely, with all Lincolnshire’s energy, hydrogen-powered trains must be a possibility. But they seem to be stuck in a siding!
The MTU Hybrid PowerPack and Altalto’s bio-diesel seems a more affordable and less risky route.
A Direct Connection To London
In the Wikipedia entry for Gainsborough Lea Road station, there is a section called Future Services, where a direct connection to London is mentioned.
Conclusion
Given that the likes of East Midlands Railway, Hull Trains, LNER and TransPennine Express are improving their services to Hull, Lincoln, Cleethorpes and Grimsby, this local North Lincolnshire Metro serving the Port and the industrial development, could well be welcomed by those that live and work in the area.
I doubt that the infrastructure cost will be very high.
The Anonymous Widower 