UK: Manchester light rail operator Keolis Amey Metrolink has worked with University of Birmingham spin-out EneRail to optimise energy consumption on the section of the network linking Manchester Victoria with Bury Interchange.
The trial has sought to refine driver performance to deliver tangible energy benefits. EneRail offers driver advisory systems and energy modelling simulations. For this project, its team led by Prof Stuart Hillmansen and Dr Ning Zhao conducted a briefing that outlined the optimisation process and demonstrated how coasting could reduce energy consumption during normal operations.
The partners then developed a model of the Bury to Victoria route to produce modelling and simulation outputs for potential optimised driving strategies. By comparing the modelling and simulation with real vehicle data, the potential energy benefits could be quantified.
The results of the assessment found that the optimisation process could achieve energy savings of approximately 10% over the route when compared to conventional driving techniques, with negligible time penalties.
The Victoria – Bury line formed part of the original Manchester Metrolink network having been converted from main line standards in 1991-92. Now run under light rail principles, it remains largely segregated from road and pedestrian traffic and features two long tunnels which have bespoke control equipment to keep trams apart.
‘Our partnership with Manchester Metrolink is a real milestone for EneRail and highlights the benefits that collaborative working provides’, said Hillmansen. ‘Having the chance to fuse our knowledge and research with Manchester Metrolink enables its network to run efficiently but above all else, sustainably — a key motivator for industry and passengers alike.’
‘It was fantastic to partner with EneRail on this innovative project, further enabling Manchester Metrolink to continue to provide a sustainable and efficient service for passengers across the region’, added Martyn Chymera, Head of Engineering at Keolis Amey Metrolink.
