Diesel-free passenger and freight rail by 2040 to reduce operational emissions?
A SERIES of commitments have been published by the Department for Transport with the aim of decarbonising all forms of transport by 2050.
For rail, it is the intention to see the removal of all diesel-only trains in respect of both passenger and freight operations by 2040. There is confirmation of an ambitious and cost-effective programme of electrification in line with Network Rail's traction decarbonisation strategy published in July 2020.
This revealed that 38% of the network is currently electrified, and it was judged that 13,000 additional single track kilometres (stks) would need to be installed by 2040, leaving 1300 stks where it was expected hydrogen powered trains would be used and 800 stks where battery operation was considered more suitable. A choice was not defined for a residual 300 stks.
REDUCED EMISSIONS
The result of this plan would reduce rail operational emissions to 3% of the current level, this residual element being made of terminal shunting which would be offset by actions such as tree planting and traction regeneration.
It emerged in drawing up NR's strategy that 30% of diesel train emissions take place as a result of not utilising electric infrastructure that is available, but it is anticipated that the increasing use of bi-mode rolling stock will reduce this statistic. In 2018/19, 469 million litres of diesel fuel was used for traction purposes, with freight accounting for 153 million litres.
A map of proposed future train operations show that wiring would extend to all trunk and more important secondary routes. Examples of the use of hydrogen power are the Cambrian lines, Heart of Wales and Exmouth-Barnstaple routes, with battery power chosen for shorter branch lines such as those serving Ebbw Vale, Whitby and Windermere.
In Scotland, the network would be fully electrified apart from the Far North and West Highland Lines to
Kyle of Lochalsh, Mallaig, and Oban, with Stranraer being served by as yet undefined alternative traction.