Main line tests have started on the nation’s first intercity battery train. The class 802 bi-mode unit has seen one of its engines replaced and retrofitted with batteries, a first for the UK rail network. …
Continue readingCategory: Sustainability
Why is Rail Electrification so Slow in the UK? (NewCivilEng)
Benefits of electrified railways are numerous and they will be vital in achieving net zero, but the electrification rate is worryingly low and an overhaul of the approach is required. An electrified railway is a …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 21 October 2024
• Possible Scope of Sadiq Khan’s plans for Oxford Street (On London) • TfL Invites Bids for New London Trams Fleet (Rail Technology) • The Rise, Fall, & Rise Again of the Leeds Tram (Railway …
Continue reading35 cities to introduce zero-emission freight zones (CitiesToday)
Clean transport group Clean Cities, has identified 35 cities which have committed to phase-in zero-emission zones for freight ahead of the introduction of the very first zero-emission zones in Europe in 2025. The majority of the cities are …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 4 October 2024
• A first look at the new Piccadilly line trains being built in Yorkshire (IanVisits) • A nightmare journey on GWR (BusAndTrainUser) • US port strike ends as dockworkers near agreement (Quartz) • Riding Transit …
Continue readingBattery electric and battery hybrid trains: An engineering overview (RailEngineer)
There has been much publicity over the last few months about the use of batteries as a propulsion energy source on trains. For example, in the UK, the first modern battery powered passenger train entered …
Continue readingHow sustainable are aviation biofuels really? (Anthropocene)
Jet biofuels are not necessarily less carbon intensive than fossil fuels, say researchers. In a side-by-side comparison of emissions, they found some grasses performed best. Two types of perennial grasses offer the greatest global potential …
Continue readingUK’s first Intercity battery train hits the tracks (RailMag)
Main line tests have started on the nation’s first intercity battery train. The class 802 bi-mode unit has seen one of its engines replaced and retrofitted with batteries, a first for the UK rail network. …
Continue readingTinted window film trial to determine reduction of train air-conditioning needs (RailwayGazette)
TransPennine Express is trialling two tinted window films which it hopes will reduce solar heating and thus lower the energy used by train air-conditioning systems. The operator expects the film supplied by Aura Brand Solutions to …
Continue readingPort of London Authority setting course towards sustainability: Video (BBCStoryworks)
With shipping responsible for around 3% of global emissions in 2018, this port is making an effort to reduce the impact. With a focus on leveraging data, changes are being put in place to help …
Continue readingAustin Texas stops shift to all-electric bus fleet (KUT NPR)
Capital Metro is slamming the brakes on an ambitious goal of transitioning to an all-electric bus fleet, citing problems with the range of battery-electric buses. Austin voters were promised a transit system with exclusively electric …
Continue readingSteamology start-up to develop new zero-emission steam locomotive (GlobalRailwayReview)
Steamology, a green technology start-up, has partnered with Arup and Eversholt Rail to develop and evaluate green steam technology for zero-emission freight trains. Steamology, a green technology start-up in West Dean, Hampshire, has announced that …
Continue readingSale of diesel in London falls 40% in 4 years (AirQualityNews)
Transport & Environment UK are today reporting that analysis of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero statistics shows that the sale of diesel fuel in London is falling twice as fast as the national …
Continue readingClass 60 diesel locomotive to be converted to steam turbine operation (RailBusinessUK)
A Class 60 diesel locomotive is to be converted to a modern form of steam power as a potential alternative to electrification for zero-emission heavy freight operations. The Brush Traction loco dating from the early …
Continue readingChilling Effects: The Hidden Environmental Cost of Transport Refrigeration (AirQualityNews)
Every day, thousands of trucks traverse our cities, delivering the perishable goods we rely on, from fresh vegetables to frozen dinners. However, there’s a dirty secret hiding behind this essential service: the diesel engines that …
Continue reading