Modern Railways – April 2019

Informed Sources Roger Ford

22 Modern Railways April 2019 http://www.modern-railways.com

For MegaWatts it’s diesel or electrification

I

f you read this column, I’m sure

you enjoyed my colleague Ian

Walmsley’s hatchet job (I think you

mean ‘measured analysis’ – Ed) on

the initial report of the Rail Industry

Decarbonisation Task force in his

column last month. What struck me

about the report was the complex

web of cognitive dissonances that

vitiated the underlying common

sense. This is exemplified by

the report’s section on freight,

reproduced here in the box.

Note the uncharacteristically

realistic (this is a Rail Safety &

Standards Board [RSSB] production)

second bullet point. It is an

inescapable fact that nothing

can match the diesel engine’s

combination of power, range

and, incidentally, efficiency and

affordability, when it comes

to a prime mover you can

put in a UK-gauge 125-tonne

Co-Co locomotive.

But having established that

Mr Ackroyd Stuart’s creation many

generations removed in EU Stage IIIB

configuration is about as clean – but

not necessarily green – as it comes,

the report remembers that RSSB has

a research budget to burn through

and decides that bi-mode and battery

technology could deliver ‘significant’

improvements and recommends

further research and development

into solving this ‘challenge’.

Similarly, the report observes

that the diesel engine in the Stadler

state-of-the-art Class 88 bi-mode

gives only 20% of the power

available running under the wires.

This makes it suitable for only

slow speed last mile operation,

the report adds. Amazing!

But while the limitations of

the UK gauge mean that there is

insufficient space, with current

technology, to fit an electric

locomotive with sufficient installed

diesel power to supersede the

Class 66, the report’s authors don’t

give up. Work is under way that

‘may’ lead to the development of

locomotives that ‘would’ use smaller

diesel engines and supplement

this with battery power. This

technology might in due course

be applied to freight locomotives.

And guess what? ‘Further work is

needed to develop suitable bi-mode

options with sufficient versatility

across the network to be viable.

The sector would need innovation

funding support to develop options

such as these and to develop a

clearer understanding that the

necessary capital investment

would lead to reasonable returns

in reduced operating costs as well

as reduced emissions. The lack of

such support presents a significant

barrier.’ Talk about broad hints.

FREIGHT DIESEL

TRACTION REALITIES

FREIGHT DIESELS PRESENT CHALLENGES

n The removal of diesel only freight and maintenance (Yellow Rail) trains from

the national rail network presents unique challenges.

n There is no alternative independent power source available, which delivers the power

and range necessary to meet the specific demands of these uses.

n The introduction of bi-mode and battery technology, while a challenge, could deliver significant improvements.

n We recommend further industry-led research and development into solving this challenge.

n In the near term the freight industry will continue to reduce unit carbon emissions through further maximising

payload per train, employing driver advisory systems, auto stop-start and other system-level innovations.

Rail Industry Decarbonisation Task Force, January 2019

Freight workhorse: loco No 66002 at Rainford on 7 July 2018 with working 6E26, the 10.50

Knowsley - Wilton binliner, with the driver handing over the single line token. Rob France

022-030_MR_Apr 2019_informed 1.indd 22 12/03/2019 15:01