IMechE rail report backs hydrogen and electrification combination

Entitled The future for hydrogen trains in the UK, the report emphasises that electrification should still be the priority for replacing diesel trains, which the government has pledged to do by 2040. But where electrification is neither economically nor technically feasible, hydrogen power should be considered as an option. The report also highlights how hydrogen power is not suitable for freight or high speed rail, due to the large amount of storage required. Rural passenger routes, however, could present a viable opportunity.

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/poll-diesel-trains/

“The government has set out plans to phase-out the use of diesel-only trains by 2040 in order to reduce carbon emissions, but less than 50 per cent of the network is electrified and the remaining half is unlikely to ever completely become so, particularly given the cancellation of three schemes in the North, the Midlands and Wales,” said Dr Jenifer Baxter, head of Engineering at IMechE.

According to the IMechE report, there are three main areas that the government should be prioritising: a revaluation of cancelled electrification schemes; development of hydrogen trains and infrastructure; and investment in hydrogen industrial clusters that could also support buses and grid decarbonisation.