North America has a railroad problem that the rest of the world doesn’t have. As a result, a lot of North Americans think it’s too expensive to electrify that mode of transportation. As we explore electrifying …
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Hitachi tests modular battery hybrid train as potential rail decarbonisation pathway (RailBusinessUK)
A Class 802 electro-diesel inter-city trainset which has been retrofitted with a battery in place of one of its three engines is being tested by Hitachi Rail, operator TransPennine Express and leasing company Angel Trains. The battery will provide top-up power …
Continue readingPrague bringing trolleybuses back, inaugurates line to airport amongst others (SustainableBus)
Prague Transport Company has 13 other urban bus lines in various stages of project preparation and, in cooperation with the Central Bohemian Region, the first suburban bus line, which will gradually be converted to trolleybuses …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 27 May 2024
• Why journeys from the UK are about to become much trickier (The Guardian) • c2c’s oldest trains to get major refurbishment (Ian Visits) • What’s really going on with high-speed rail in the US? …
Continue readingFirst battery trains in passenger service in Germany (UrbanTransportMag)
Innovative technology along with even more climate protection and greater comfort and convenience for passengers – regional rail transport on Network 8 (“Ortenau”) is rising to a new level on April 8, 2024. Today’s the day the first four …
Continue readingCould battery trains decarbonise a third of the UK rail network? (IMechE)
A third of the UK rail network does not need to be electrified to reach net zero, and could instead be decarbonised with battery trains. That is the claim of a new report published last week (11 …
Continue readingHitachi Rail launches long-distance hybrid battery train (TheEngineer)
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 readingAlstom & 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 …
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