Alstom is working with Eversholt Rail on plans to convert Class 321 electric trains to hydrogen operation through the installation of hydrogen tanks and fuel cells.
The move is said to represent the rail industry’s first substantive response to calls from government to phase out diesel rolling stock by 2040.
“The potential for hydrogen trains is enormous,” said Nick Crossfield, managing director, Alstom UK & Ireland. “Not only are hydrogen trains zero carbon, they are near-silent and emit no particulates, which means they offer substantial air quality and noise pollution benefits too.”
Crossfield added that under 50 per cent of the UK rail network is electrified, a situation exacerbated in 2017 when transport secretary Chris Grayling cancelled three rail electrification projects.
Alstom is currently investigating alternatives to diesel rolling stock with the Coradia iLint, a passenger train that runs on electricity generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.
Hydrogen can be produced using sustainable electricity and electrolysis or through industrial processes. The fuel cell on the train produces electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen to create water. The electrical energy is intermediately stored in batteries and the train is powered by an electrical traction drive.
The vehicle was first tested on Alstom’s test track in Lower Saxony, Germany, where it achieved a speed of 80km/h. Tests have taken place also in Velim, Czech Republic to run the train at its full-service speed of 140km/h. In September 2017, Alstom expressed an interest in further testing its hydrogen fuel cell solutions in the Liverpool city region.
For its part, Eversholt Rail recently joined an industry consortium that will develop, manufacture and market the Revolution VLR (very light rail) vehicle, which will weigh less that one tonne per linear metre. The bi-directional, 18m long railcar will have seating for 56 passengers and has the potential to be deployed on disused branch lines across the UK.
There are a lot of “disused branch lines across the UK” – but I was under the impression that these did not have tracks and they are not in plans of big rail/DfT. But I hope there is a sea change on this and the idea of having a countrywide rail infrastructure
This is another in an endless series of plans, projects and proposals to avoid electrifying the railway system. The promise of hydrogen powered vehicles, batteries (AAA?) and fuel cells has been a siren call for decades but still has come nowhere near the performance capability of electrified train operations. Other nations are busy electrifying their networks but due to massive incompetence within the DfT and Network Rail robust plans and projects have been abandoned in favour of cheap fixes such as bi-modals which have nowhere near the same performance capability as electrically powered trains. The way forward in my view is to electrify as much of the existing network as possible to create real linked system benefits. Options to use alternative lower life cost materials for catenary supports, long tern leasing of fixed assets (secure, safe returns and not able to be sent abroad) and competitive power supply contracts from the generators and utilities would galvanise things. It might also make HS2 look even less tenable and desirable and deliver nation wide benefits and not a legacy project between London and the West Midlands.
I fear your vision of incompetence – not sure it is innate or just a stubborn and trammelled outlook by these agencies – not noted for their planning acumen and innovative visions.
I rode in Bombardier’s demonstration battery train on the Harwich branch. I was sceptical before, but I now believe battery trains are possible up to perhaps 50 km. It’s all due to the favourable physics of steel wheel on steel rail.
The forces are with battery and hydrogen-powered trains. Selective electrification may be needed to get trains up to speed. But once there, battery power backed up by hydrogen-power or small diesels will keep the train rolling along.
I can envisage a Midland Main Line with sections of electrification at all station stops, that is run by 125 mph bi-mode trains with batteries and a small diesel generator.
Bombardier have said they are developing a 125 mph Aventra bi-mode with batteries.
All the technology is coming together.
This sounds like a cheap fix. Just wire up the whole route using more cost effective catenary support systems, leased kit and advantageous power supply contracts. I just fail to understand why we are following the American adversion to electrification when most of the rest of the world is busy wiring up. Accountants and bureaucrats rule possibly?
What we require in the UK is a government that takes a 30 year view of infrastructure planning, rather than a 5 year view. Only with a stable government-backed plan can we achieve true modernisation. Network Rail and the train operators need that level of commitment by HMG if they are expected to push a long term plan for our railways.
Crossrail is proof that we can overcome all manner of technical difficulties providing the long term commiment is there.
If you produce hydrogen gas using electrolysis why then use it to run a fuel cell ? it would be far better to burn the hydrogen in an internal combustion engine to drive the train wheels. Each time you convert electrical energy to another state ( renewable energy – store hydrogen- use it in fuel cell – power electric energy to drive train wheels.) it loses efficiency.
Hydrogen ICE is much less efficient than Hydrogen fuel cell, 20 – 30% compared to 45 – 50%. It is much better to use the Hydrogen in an FC. If made from electrolysis then the source is likely renewable where electricity efficiency loss is not such an issue. If supplied in bulk it will originate from some methane process, but will ultimately come from an oil/gas well and will not waste high value electricity – such as that generated by the main grid. If the hydrogen was being produced directly from the electricity grid then I can see your point more.
Power requirements for trains are high during acceleration phase, these systems always quote being FC powered but are always FC battery hybrids, the batteries provide the required power and the FC is used as a kind of range extender continuous load provider, from my experience they have narrow efficient power operation bands and don’t like to ramp up and down too much although the technology is improving, that is definitely the case for the iLint anyway.
Hydrogen ICE for this type of operation hasn’t really taken off there are not many manufactures of hydrogen ICEs that can output what a Cummings diesel can, there isn’t really much of a market for it.
Hydrogen FC battery hybrids are efficient, have technology available now and are cheaper than electrification. I don’t think they are the be all and end all, but as a good stop gap especially for retrofitting mid-life rolling stock. If this has a pan option as will like the 321 you are looking at a bimode FC battery hybrid, which has options over the UK on and off the OLE
I say bah humbug! This is not adventurous at all! What the UK needs is to invest in high silicon number silanes (yes they exist and are analogous to diesel with none pollution). Silanes combust using the nitrogen and oxygen in air, and the resulting silicon nitride part of the combustion products are collected, and further reacted with alkaline solution to release ammonia that also burns cleanly, or is used for fertilizer. Very powerful engines can be made this way, very long range capability, and the only high tech thing about it is the chemistry set involved, but if Germans can do it, so can Brits.