Climate and the rail industry – Page 5
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NewsItalian hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit unveiled
ITALY: Ferrovie Nord Milano and Alstom unveiled the first hydrogen fuel cell powered Coradia Stream multiple-unit at the Expo Ferroviaria trade fair on October 3.
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NewsKazakh hydrogen loco co-operation
KAZAKHSTAN: National railway KTZ and Wabtec have signed a framework agreement for the production of hydrogen locomotives and the creation of an engineering centre at the LKZ loco factory in Astana. It was signed on September 17 when Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed plans for the ...
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Metro Report InternationalEnergy bank to boost tramway power supply
NETHERLANDS: The use of an ‘energy bank’ to reinforce a tramway power supply without needing to build a substation is to be piloted in Rotterdam from December. The energy bank will be installed at the Posthumalaan turning loop, which is currently only used at times of ...
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Rail Business UKResearch expertise used to optimise Transpennine Route Upgrade designs
UK: The University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research is providing specialised pantograph-catenary interaction and vehicle dynamics expertise to optimise designs for the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme. The IRR has worked with Network Rail, J Murphy & Sons, Siemens, Systra and VolkerRail to produce a three-dimensional ...
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NewsIrish diesel loco to be converted to hydrogen fuel
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann is to work with Latvian traction technology company DiGas to undertake a proof-of-concept conversion of a diesel locomotive to use hydrogen in its existing engine. IÉ will provide one of its EMD-built Class 071 locomotive dating from the 1970s for the ...
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Metro Report InternationalHydrogen trams planned in Ulsan
SOUTH KOREA: A study has found that the development of a hydrogen-powered tramway in Ulsan would be feasible, Minister of Land, Infrastructure & Transport Won Hee-ryong announced on August 23. Construction could start in 2026 for completion in 2029 at a cost of 328bn won. The ...
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Rail Business UKSignalling team trials hydrogen power
UK: The use of hydrogen to provide power for staff welfare compounds and to recharge battery tools and electric vehicles has been tested by Colas Rail UK’s signalling team during a project in the Gloucester area. H-Power Tower fuel cell stacks designed by AFC Energy to ...
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Rail Business UKEast Kilbride electrification funding confirmed
UK: The Scottish government has confirmed funding for the East Kilbride Enhancement Project, saying a rolling programme of electrification forms a key element of its transport decarbonisation plans. The announcement on September 6 confirms £96·3m of funding for project delivery. This is on top of £43·5m ...
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In depthTraction technology: Bridging the gap from diesel
Equipping existing diesel passenger fleets with battery‑based energy storage technology can improve vehicle efficiency while reducing local noise and pollution, argues Edgar Keller of ABB Traction Systems.
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NewsElectric-battery shunting locomotive unveiled
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant unveiled its EMKA2 electric-battery shunting locomotive at the PRO//Dvizhenie.Expo trade fair in St Petersburg, saying more than 90% of the components were designed and manufactured domestically. The EMKA2 is derived from the TEM23 modular diesel locomotive. It is designed for ...
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NewsChemnitz – Leipzig battery train unveiled
GERMANY: Alstom has unveiled the first of 11 Coradia Continental battery-electric multiple-units ordered by Mittelsachsen transport authority VMS for use on Chemnitz – Leipzig services. VMS Managing Director Mathias Korda said the BEMUs would enable electric operation on one of the most important routes in the ...
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NewsBattery train to take Caltrain electric operation beyond the wires
USA: The California Transportation Commission has approved funding for Stadler to supply a battery-electric multiple-unit which will enable Caltrain to extend its future San Francisco – San Jose electric train service to Gilroy over track which is not currently scheduled for electrification. The funding allocated on ...
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NewsCanadian battery locomotive under development
CANADA: Cando Rail & Terminals is developing a lithium-ion battery-powered locomotive to offer a zero-emission replacement for diesel shunters in yards and industrial sites, with an expected 40% reduction in energy consumption. Cando is working with Innovative Rail Technologies, which has previously produced a demonstrator battery ...
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NewsBattery-electric train fast charging facility ordered
IRELAND: Alstom has been awarded a contract to provide a fast-charging facility for the battery-electric multiple-units that it is to supply to Iarnród Éireann as part of the DART+ programme to enhance commuter services in the Greater Dublin area. The charging equipment is to be installed ...
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In depthEgypt: Safely expanding Cairo’s rail network
TÜV Nord acted as the independent safety assessment body for Egypt’s Capital Train electric suburban railway that opened last year to link Cairo with 10th Ramadan City and the New Administrative Capital. Lead Safety Auditor Karin Seibold explains the company’s role in ensuring the line’s safe operation to Benjámin Zelki.
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NewsAutonomous battery-powered wagons to be tested in Georgia
USA: Genesee & Wyoming is to pilot the use of autonomous battery-powered wagons on two short lines in Georgia, saying the technology from Parallel Systems could be used to transport containers to and from the Port of Savannah, reinvigorate rural railways, revive inland ports and remove ...
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NewsTransport authority opts for battery rather than hydrogen trains
GERMANY: Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG has chosen to call tenders for battery-electric rather than hydrogen trains to replace diesel traction on non-electrified lines from 2029.
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Rail Business UKNorthern Trains plans framework contract for 450 multiple-units
UK: Northern Trains has invited expressions of interest in a framework contract covering the supply of up to 450 multiple-units to replace ‘significant quantities of its ageing fleet’. Firm orders would be placed in phases. The initial order would be for ‘multi-mode’ multiple-units, with Northern having ...
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Rail Business UKBattery train deployment report commissioned
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has commissioned consultancy WSP to produce evidence-based recommendations for optimising and standardising the adoption of battery-powered trains. WSP said it would draw on its experience of battery train development in Norway and Sweden, as well as in the UK ...
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In depthComment: Green credentials on the line
The European Commission’s Greening Freight proposals reiterate the EU’s commitment to growing rail’s share of the logistics chain, but they also set out the challenge the sector will face amid the complexity and cost of building new infrastructure, and as measures are adopted to aid the decarbonisation of competing modes.