The sixth carbon budget -surface transport

[GRALISTAIR]

Climate change committee latest report is out. I posted in Infrastructure. Rail does get some mentions. I will post page numbers later so easier to locate.

Sector-summary-Surface-transport.pdf (theccc.org.uk)

This for example partially quoted from page 16

iii) Electrification of rail
Around 40% of the UK’s rail network is currently electrified, with the remainder of the
network using diesel trains. Options exist to improve diesel train efficiency by 2050:
• Analysis52 suggests that mild hybridisation can reduce diesel engine
emissions by 25% from typical current levels of 0.8 kgCO2/kWh, while the use
of stop-start technology, selective engine shutdown and advanced driver
advisory systems can contribute a further 20% reduction (primarily
applicable to passenger services, which stop and start more frequently).
Further innovations, including better heating/cooling, cruise control -----

More on page 34 and also page 71.

 

[Halish Railway]

I’ll assume that the “mild hybridisation” refers to what is often found in cars where there is a tiny kickstarter motor that makes produces around 10bhp.

Also, I do disapprove of the statistic saying “Around 40% of the UK’s rail network is currently electrified” as that statistic will be distorted by long stretches of unelectrified track that at most of the time sees only one train per hour in each direction such as the Settle & Carlisle Railway. I would prefer to see the percentage of scheduled services operated by an electric train or another similar statistic, maybe even the percentage of services that travel under the wires for at least 1/3 of their journey per say to demonstrate what services would benefit from bi-mode trains.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Agree statistics are distorted but the encouraging thing is that they note strategic wiring schemes will allow a huge increase in freight electrically hauled.

I would also love to see the statistic of how much diesel mileage is done under the wires.

 

[Halish Railway]

Agree statistics are distorted but the encouraging thing is that they note strategic wiring schemes will allow a huge increase in freight electrically hauled.

I would also love to see the statistic of how much diesel mileage is done under the wires.

Indeed, just a few short sections of wiring will do wonders for the environment by getting rid of the ridiculous situation in which Class 66s and Class 70s haul container trains when they spend the majority of the time under the wires. I’m often baffled why BR didn’t spend the time wiring up the short sections of line to Felixstowe and Leeds Freightliner when the mainlines which they branch off of were electrified.

Also, I feel that Peterborough to Stowmarket would benefit from electrification so that all trains out of Felixstowe can be hauled by an electric locomotive.

 

[Bald Rick]

I forget the exact statistics, but even if the whole Network was electrified, the traction electricity demand would only increase by about 50%, and well over a third of that is freight.

Assuming I have remembered correctly, you can infer that about 75% of passenger traffic is carried by electric trains running on electric power.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Indeed, just a few short sections of wiring will do wonders for the environment by getting rid of the ridiculous situation in which Class 66s and Class 70s haul container trains when they spend the majority of the time under the wires. I’m often baffled why BR didn’t spend the time wiring up the short sections of line to Felixstowe and Leeds Freightliner when the mainlines which they branch off of were electrified.

Whilst I am as keen anyone to see more electric freight haulage the first Felixstowe-Leeds path that I checked ran via Bury St Edmunds and the 'Joint Line' through Lincolnshire.

Yes, I know that the train would be under the wires for a bit from north of Ipswich to Haughley Junction, at Ely, at Peterborough and Doncaster to Hare Park but that's only a small fraction of the trip (let alone any faffing around with shunt locomotives at the terminals).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I forget the exact statistics, but even if the whole Network was electrified, the traction electricity demand would only increase by about 50%, and well over a third of that is freight.

Assuming I have remembered correctly, you can infer that about 75% of passenger traffic is carried by electric trains running on electric power.

But the figures to do electric vehicles etc mean a huge increase in electricity generating capacity.

 

[Bald Rick]

But the figures to do electric vehicles etc mean a huge increase in electricity generating capacity.

For electric road vehicles there needs to be an increase in generating capacity (I wouldn’t necessarily call it huge, given what is already under construction or in planning), but also an increase in energy storage. Some of that storage will be the electric road vehicles themselves.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Agreed, but either way there will be infrastructure spend. I still doubt all the electrical feeds into older houses will be robust enough to cope with the demand. Surplus electricity I get - store in car batteries or electrolyse hydrogen etc. I am biased of course but modal shift and electrifying the railways seems like a no brainer to my simple mind.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Indeed, just a few short sections of wiring will do wonders for the environment by getting rid of the ridiculous situation in which Class 66s and Class 70s haul container trains when they spend the majority of the time under the wires. I’m often baffled why BR didn’t spend the time wiring up the short sections of line to Felixstowe and Leeds Freightliner when the mainlines which they branch off of were electrified.

Also, I feel that Peterborough to Stowmarket would benefit from electrification so that all trains out of Felixstowe can be hauled by an electric locomotive.

Being realistic the route to be electrified is *
Proof House jn - Wigston N jn
Syston - S Jn - Helpston Jn
Peterborough - Ely N Jn
Ely Dock Jn - Haughley Jn
Ipawich - Felixstowe


Assuming the MML is being electrified this would link Wigston - Syston anyway, as well as Derby - Nottingham etc.

Freight to / from Felixstowe could be powered by AC traction through to Hams Hall / Lawley St / Basford Hall / Trafford Park / Liverpool / Scotland and from Peterborough via ECML of course.
XC Service Birmingham - Leicester and Birmingham - Stansted Airport could become AC EMUs
Anglia Service Ipswich - Peterborough could become AC EMUs

 

[Class 170101]

Being realistic the route to be electrified is *
Proof House jn - Wigston N jn
Syston - S Jn - Helpston Jn
Peterborough - Ely N Jn
Ely Dock Jn - Haughley Jn
Ipawich - Felixstowe


Assuming the MML is being electrified this would link Wigston - Syston anyway, as well as Derby - Nottingham etc.

Freight to / from Felixstowe could be powered by AC traction through to Hams Hall / Lawley St / Basford Hall / Trafford Park / Liverpool / Scotland and from Peterborough via ECML of course.
XC Service Birmingham - Leicester and Birmingham - Stansted Airport could become AC EMUs
Anglia Service Ipswich - Peterborough could become AC EMUs

Not sure all terminals near Liverpool are wired.

 

[jonesy3001]

Not sure all terminals near Liverpool are wired.

The Warrington central line isn't wired between trafford park and south parkway.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The Warrington central line isn't wired between Trafford Park and South parkway.

Agreed - do you think this is on the no regrets list?

 

[jonesy3001]

Agreed - do you think this is on the no regrets list?

Probably like the lostock jct to Wigan line and the Windermere branch.

 

[Oxfordblues]

The recent sight of 3,000 road trucks, each with a driver and polluting diesel engine, queuing-up in Kent to board the Dover-Calais polluting diesel-powered ferries graphically illustrated the opportunities for rail. Just 60 electrically-hauled piggyback trains from Ripple Lane to Lille could have cleared the lot. More realistically, Class-92 hauled intermodals should by now be linking Mossend, Trafford Park and Willesden with destinations on Mainland Europe. Sadly there's been no political will for modal transfer to zero-emissions trains. Romanian drivers are paid less than £5 per hour and can drive from Manchester to Dover without paying a single penny in road tolls. Fuel tax? No, they fill-up before they get here!

 

[Bald Rick]

Just 60 electrically-hauled piggyback trains from Ripple Lane to Lille could have cleared the lot

Not much use if the wagons weren’t travelling anywhere near Ripple Lane or Lille. Which I suspect the majority weren’t.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

-------- the Dover-Calais polluting diesel-powered ferries ------

Now they would be (imho) a good use of bio-diesel.