Hitachi Rail has unveiled a long-distance hybrid battery train which it claims will help to cut carbon emissions by 83 per cent when it enters service later this year. Presented at an event in Reggio …
Continue readingCategory: Electrification
Alstom & VMS present battery-electric train in Saxony (RailwayNews)
Alstom and Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS) have presented a new battery-powered train for operation on the Chemnitz-Leipzig line in Central Saxony, Germany. This unit is one of eleven Coradia Continental battery-electric trains that have been ordered …
Continue readingThird rail or batteries could replace Southern diesel trains on a couple of lines (RailBusinessUK)
Govia Thameslink Railway is unable to commit to decarbonisation of its operations unless Network Rail and the Department for Transport agree to fund and implement alternatives to diesel operation on the un-electrified Ashford – Hastings …
Continue readingThe Route to Rail Decarbonization is Electrification (EffectiveTransitAlliance)
While challenging, the transition to net-zero propulsion presents an excellent opportunity to modernize both passenger and freight rail transportation in the United States. The most common and cost-effective decarbonization technology is also the most common …
Continue readingFast Charge Battery Train Trial: Video (IMechE)
GWR presentation to the IMechE about the Greenford branch Fast Charging Trial. In collaboration with the former company Vivarail, GWR will trial new fast charging battery-charging technology on its network, paving the way for future …
Continue readingNew Battery-Powered Very Light Rail Train Trials (RailTechnology)
A new deal announced this week will pave the way for trials of innovative lightweight passenger trains that run entirely on battery power. The trains, known as Revolution Very Light Rail (RVLR) vehicles, are expected …
Continue readingThe world has crossed a solar tipping point: Transport needs to keep up (Anthropocene)
A new study suggests it no longer makes sense to consider the continued dominance of fossil fuels a “business as usual” scenario. Solar power (also known as photovoltaics, or PV) is likely to become the …
Continue readingWhy does UK electrification cost so much more & how can we change it? (SamDumitriu)
To get our railways to Net Zero by 2050, Britain will need to electrify more than 13,000 km of track. That’s almost 500km of track each year, every year, for the next 27 years. So, how are …
Continue readingRenfe aims to build solar plants to power trains (RailTech)
Spanish railway operator Renfe plans to build a 20 MW solar panel facility to power its trains, after which many will follow. Most of the generated electricity will be used for train traction, with any …
Continue readingDithering & long processes make the UK’s infrastructure too expensive (SamDumitriu)
“Unachievable.” The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s assessment of High Speed 2 (HS2) does not pull its punches. Back in 2013, the high-speed line to connect London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds was estimated to cost about £56.7bn …
Continue readingThe future of UK railways electrification (RailEngineer)
Since the PWI held its first electrification seminar in 2018, the event has become increasingly popular. As reported in issue 196 (May-June 2022), last year’s Scottish seminar focused on the Scottish electrification programme and initiatives …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 2 June 2023
• A train ride makes everything better, there are always people you can talk to: Video (GeoffMarshall) • Why the revolutionary Rotodyne failed in city centre transport: Video (Mustard) • The painful consequences of liking …
Continue readingRail electrification possible for 95% of UK freight trains, research reveals (CILTUK)
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – CILT(UK) – has released its electrification strategy research which reveals the significant opportunity of electrification across the UK’s rail network. CILT has released a detailed map and …
Continue readingCan UK learn from Denmark’s affordable electrification? (RailTechnology)
Denmark’s governmental rail body, Banedanmark, is in the process of electrifying the mainline Danish railway in a £1.4billion programme that started in 2014 and is due to be completed in 2028. The program has already …
Continue readingElectric semis/HGVs are coming & truck stops aren’t ready (Bloomberg)
Next month, Tesla Inc. plans to deliver the first of its electric Semi trucks—able to haul a full 40 ton-load some 500 miles on a single charge. These massive batteries-on-wheels may accelerate the transition to electrified transport, but those responsible for delivering …
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