SEE INSIDE FOR: A national traction climate strategy n Designing a ‘green’ project n The latest alternative train tech: batteries & hydrogen n The case for more wires Decarbonisation Special 76 Decarbonisation SMART TRANSPORT CONFERENCE 2019 Special CONTENTS Full steam ahead BCRRE introduces its 40soon-to-be-launched Centre of Excellence in Decarbonisation. Ready to charge VIVARAIL explains how its 42latest innovations will revolutionise rail traction. Bright spark Why HITACHI thinks that 44battery power is the answer to powering zero emissions trains ‘off the wires’. Industry taskforce How the recommendations of 46the Decarbonisation Taskforce final report are now being implemented. The market leader ALSTOM seeks to expand the 52reach of the world’s only DATE: 17 MARCH 2020 in-service hydrogen-powered trains. PHIL METCALFE. Mean, green machine VENUE: ETC VENUES, How SIEMENS MOBILITY is 54perfectly in step with the UK’s COUNTY HALL, LONDON ambition to phase out diesel trains. Smart money Welcome SYSTRA tells RAIL how cutting Find out about local and national a project’s carbon footprint n June 12 2019, in one of her final to achieve this vision. 56 does not always mean increasing the cost. government transport challenges acts as Prime Minister, Theresa Meanwhile, Network Rail’s Head of ADVANCED • May announced that the UK will Strategic Planning Helen McAllister provides Listen to multi-modal solutions Oend its net contribution to global an update on the Traction Decarbonisation RATE NOW greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Network Strategy (TDNS), which is being Current beliefs AVAILABLE • By amending the Climate Change Act 2008 developed to inform government decisions on Why electrification remains Network with senior public and to incorporate this target, it made the UK the providing support for further electrification, 58the future of UK railways, first G7 country to legally implement a net alongside the deployment of alternative according to FURRER + FREY. www.smarttransport.org.uk private stakeholders zero-carbon policy. technologies such as battery- and hydrogen- Ambitious as this is, the rail industry was powered trains. (and remains) ahead of this curve with its Whatever pathway is set out later this own plans to become the world’s leading low- year by the TDNS, the industry stands Book your place now at carbon network by 2040. ready to deliver the low and zero-emission EDITORIAL www.smarttransport.org.uk A Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce technologies that will be required - as Managing Editor: Nigel Harris has been at the vanguard of these efforts, ever demonstrated in this special 24-page Deputy Editor: Stefanie Foster Richard Clinnick since its creation in 2018 in response to the supplement by the Birmingham Centre for Head of News: Contributing Writer: Paul Stephen challenge made by former Rail Minister Jo Railway Research and Education (40-41), Production Editor: Mike Wright Johnson to phase out diesel traction within SYSTRA (56-57) and Furrer + Frey (58-59), Headline strategic partners Art Editor: Charles Wrigley the next 20 years. plus train manufacturers Siemens Mobility Sub-Editor: Richard Hampson On pages 46-51, RAIL speaks to RSSB’s (54-55), Alstom (52-53), Hitachi (44-45) and Managing Director: Tim Lucas Lead Carbon Specialist Andrew Kluth on Vivarail (42-43). ■ his role as technical author of the Taskforce’s ADVERTISING final report, which was published in July 2019 PAUL STEPHEN Account Director: Julie Howard to plot a way forward for the industry Features Editor, RAIL 40 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE SPECIAL REPORT Produced by The UK’s first standard gauge hydrogen train makes its debut at Rail Live 2019. The HydroFLEX went from the concept design stage to carrying its first passengers on demonstration runs in just nine months. Full steam ahead NIGEL HARRIS. 020 is shaping up to be a big year for the Birmingham Centre for Railway The UK could be about to re-take the Research and Education (BCRRE). 2 Already the largest institution of lead in railway innovation, says BCRRE its kind in Europe and the lead university partner of the UK Rail Research and Managing Director ALEX BURROWS and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), the final touches are currently being made to a 3,000m2 Senior Lecturer DR STUART HILLMANSEN building that will open on the University of Birmingham campus this summer. opportunities of digitalisation while also traction systems. More than £16 million has been invested in cutting greenhouse emissions and tackling Work being conducted in power electronics this state-of-the-art facility that is located at climate change,” explains BCRRE Managing will include power supply modelling and the University’s new School of Engineering Director Alex Burrows. optimisation that will build on projects already and will feature meeting and seminar rooms, “In digitalisation there is still a big gap undertaken with Merseyrail, in Singapore and a range of laboratories, exhibition and catering between the aspirations and expectations of in the Channel Tunnel in which sensors and spaces, workshops and offices. what new technologies will be able to do and infrastructure monitoring devices have been The building will also house the UKRRIN the tangible products and services that are placed to provide real-time data. Centre of Excellence in Digital Systems, where actually being offered, and so we have the BCRRE will also embark on detailed solutions are being developed in partnership UKRRIN Centre of Excellence here to help engineering to increase the efficiency of power with the rail industry and other UKRRIN bring it all closer together and to accelerate conversion in traction motors and other parts of members in areas such as cybersecurity, data those innovations. the train, and in reducing energy losses in the testing ahead of its planned (although yet to integration, smart monitoring and future train “But we also have significant strengths power distribution network. be confirmed) appearance at Rail Live 2020 It is possible to completely decarbonise control. in decarbonisation, which is why we are BCRRE will be able to capitalise on its on June 17-18 at the Quinton Rail Technology In conjunction with the opening of the launching a new Centre of Excellence to collate involvement in the EU-funded research project Centre, Long Marston. by using electrolysis that is powered using new building, BCRRE will also soon host a the range of skills and capabilities we have, E-LOBSTER, in which a new transport grid Senior Lecturer in Electrical Energy Systems newly established Centre of Excellence in Rail and to present them more coherently as we interconnection system is being installed on the at BCRRE Dr Stuart Hillmansen says: renewable energy to create the fuel. Decarbonisation. have already done with digitalisation.” local rail network in Madrid that will maximise “HydroFLEX is the first full-scale hydrogen Dr Stuart Hillmansen, Senior Lecturer, BCRRE With a mission to drive forward research, He adds: “There is a clear appetite from the the use of local renewable energy sources and train in the UK and has been very successful education and innovation in this area, it will broader population, as well as industry, to cut make the electricity distribution network and as we look to move away from diesel traction hydrogen fuel cells. way in which we are helping to provide the be the first dedicated centre of its kind in our carbon footprint and this will help ensure the electrified transport network interact with towards a cleaner environment. Funding has also been secured from workforce of the future by giving industry the Europe and will also be officially launched this that we play a leading role in those efforts.” each other. “Our view is that the right way to provide Innovate UK to create a company that can capabilities to deliver the railway of the future. summer. The new Centre of Excellence will focus on Meanwhile, BCRRE’s research focus on traction is via electrification but for less dense provide the necessary infrastructure needed “Industry will be able to use this “The railways globally have two grand four specialist areas: power electronics, climate climate adaption and resilience recognises that parts of the network this is unlikely to be to support hydrogen trains, including fuelling knowledge to help to meet the challenge of challenges, which are realising the adaption, aerodynamics and sustainable the railway not only has to mitigate its impact economical. Our analysis over many years stations and hydrogen generation facilities. decarbonisation and develop technologies as on the global climate but must also be resilient and our research in hydrogen shows that it is Hillmansen adds: “We are developing a we see on HydroFLEX.” There is a clear appetite from the to changing temperatures and conditions. possible to completely decarbonise by using fully modular and scalable solution for a fleet BCRRE has already moved one step closer to According to Burrows, there will be synergies electrolysis that is powered using renewable deployment of hydrogen units. We’ve built its goal of securing a commercial procurement broader population, as well as industry, here between the Centres of Excellence in energy to create the fuel.” the train so now we need to do the fuelling of hydrogen trains in the UK through its Decarbonisation and Digital Systems. For As part of BCRRE’s efforts to develop station. recent ground-breaking work with Michigan to cut our carbon footprint. example, there is the potential for climate data hydrogen traction even further, work is “The company should be set up by March State University. supplied by the Met Office to be superimposed ongoing to design the world’s first bi-mode and there will be more information on this Researchers from the two universities Alex Burrows, Managing Director, BCRRE onto simulators and a digital twin of the UK unit that can be powered by overhead wires or at Rail Live, but it demonstrates yet another contributed to a decision in December 2019 by network developed by colleagues working in the San Bernardino County Transportation digitalisation.