Full steam ahead for hydrogen trains
Graeme Paton, Transport Correspondent
January 7 2019, 12:01am, The Times
The new “Breeze” trains will be on the tracks by early 2021 ALSTOM
Hydrogen trains will be introduced in as little as two years under ambitious plans to phase out dirty diesel engines.
The Times has learnt that a deal has been struck to convert more than 100 trains into the first fleet powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.
The trains, which are almost silent and have zero emissions, will operate at speeds of up to 90mph and release steam only as a by-product. The new trains, which will be called “Breeze”, will be employed on commuter and suburban lines by early 2021.
The Department for Transport is supporting the plan because it allows operators to scrap diesel trains without the need to install hugely expensive overhead power lines that are needed to operate electric carriages.
It has set a target of eradicating diesel altogether from the network by 2040.
Less than half of the British rail network is electrified and about 2,500 commuter trains run on diesel power.
Research has shown that parts of the network used frequently by diesel trains have pollution levels “significantly in excess” of European legal limits. This includes parts of Birmingham New Street and London Paddington stations.
Alstom, the French multinational, is leading the project alongside Eversholt Rail, the rolling stock company. It has identified an Eversholt-owned fleet of Class 321 electric trains for the project.
The trains were built by British Rail in 1988 and are used on the Greater Anglia network. They will be phased out next year when the conversion to hydrogen power will start. Alstom has already built an entirely new hydrogen train — the first of its kind in the world — in Germany, with passenger services starting in September.
New images released by Alstom show that the existing four-carriage 321s will be reduced to three as part of the conversion process, which will be carried out at the company’s plant in Widnes, Cheshire. The front and rear third of the train will be used to house hydrogen gas storage tanks.
On the German train the hydrogen is stored on the roof but tanks will be shifted in the British model because of the greater physical constraints of the Victorian-built rail network in Britain.
Alstom said that the new trains could accelerate quicker than diesel engines and were cheaper to maintain. Just over 100 class 321s will be converted, depending on the order book.
It will be the first time anywhere in the world that an existing train fleet has been converted in this way.
Alstom said that it was in advanced talks with the Department for Transport and train companies with a view to securing orders for the trains, enabling them to start production early next year. Although the company refused to be drawn on the destination of the new trains, it is believed that they could be used on unelectrified lines in the northwest or northeast.
Nick Crossfield, Alstom’s UK managing director, said: “There is great opportunity to get better value for taxpayers by converting an existing fleet . . . It will reach the same top speed as a diesel and in terms of acceleration a train like this will perform much more effectively. But the main benefit is to the environment in terms of emissions, noise and the passenger experience.”
Andrew Jones, the rail minister, said: “Hydrogen train technology is an exciting innovation which has the potential to transform our railway, making journeys cleaner and greener by cutting CO2 emissions even further.”
• Train companies are being told to switch off diesel engines at the platform edge because of mounting concerns that passengers are being subjected to toxic fumes. Network Rail has introduced new rules at Birmingham New Street, the busiest station outside London, warning operators against leaving engines running for more than 12 minutes. New supervisors have been instructed to patrol platforms and have “polite conversations” with drivers if they see engines being left on for too long. Two of the station’s biggest operators, Virgin Trains and Cross Country, confirmed that they had already installed auto-shutdown technology on some trains if they were left idle for at least eight minutes. A national rail strategy published by the Department for Transport recently called for other operators to follow suit.
