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UK hydrogen train runs on main line
HydroFlex, the UK's first hydrogen-powered train, ran on the main line today, signalling a big step forward towards the UK's net zero targets.
Developed jointly by the University of Birmingham and train owner Porterbrook, the conversion of a Class 319 all-electric train has been supported with a £750,000 grant from the Department for Transport. Its development took almost two years of work and more than £1 million of investment from the two partners.
Hydrogen-powered trains use hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water and heat. The ground-breaking technology behind the trains will also be available by 2023 to retrofit current in-service trains to hydrogen, helping decarbonise the rail network and make rail journeys greener and more efficient.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visited the development site to meet with leading rail experts from the University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) and to see first-hand HydroFLEX on the mainline.
He also announced his ambition for Tees Valley to become a trailblazing Hydrogen Transport Hub. Bringing together representatives from academia, industry and government to drive forward the UK’s plans to embrace the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel could create hundreds of jobs, while seeing the region become a global leader in the green hydrogen sector.
Tees Valley is perfectly placed to reap these benefits, following the development there of the world’s largest versatile hydrogen refuelling facility made possible through government funding.
To kick start the development in Tees Valley, the Department for Transport has commissioned a masterplan to understand the feasibility of the hub and how it can accelerate the UK’s ambitions in Hydrogen.
The masterplan, expected to be published in January, will pave the way for exploring how green hydrogen could power buses, HGV, rail, maritime and aviation transport across the UK. The aim would then be for the region to become a global leader in industrial research on the subject of hydrogen as a fuel as well as an R&D hub for hydrogen transport more generally, attracting hundreds of jobs and boosting the local economy in the process.
The next stages of HydroFLEX are already well underway, with the University of Birmingham developing a hydrogen and battery-powered module that can be fitted underneath the train, which will allow for more space for passengers in the train’s carriage.
Network Rail has acquired 'Bristol Old Station', the iconic Grade I listed building, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, that was Bristol's first railway station when it opened in 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington. It remains one of the oldest surviving railway stations in Britain.
Its acquisition from Bristol City Council allows Network Rail to bring the building back into railway ownership for the first time since rail privatisation in the mid-1990s.
The Old Station is currently home to Engine Shed, a business incubator which supports a cluster of innovative start-ups, and the Passenger Shed, an events space which hosts a wide range of events including exhibitions and weddings.
Network Rail plans to maintain current commercial uses in the building, while implementing a programme to maintain and restore the Grade 1 listed facilities. Its aspirations for the buildings will complement proposals for the wider station area under the emerging Bristol Temple Quarter masterplan.
Stuart Kirkwood, acting group property director at Network Rail Property said: “We are very pleased to have brought this iconic building back into railway ownership. This is a landmark site with historical significance for the nation and for Network Rail as a company. We are looking forward to revitalising the building for the enjoyment of passengers, tenants and the local community.
“This refurbishment is part of our wider strategy to create great places for business and communities to thrive, supporting economic growth and regeneration in towns and cities across the UK.”
Structural Precast for Railways
Work on reconnecting the line
to Levenmouth gets underway
The first phase of work which will lead to the reinstatement of passenger services to Leven will begin shortly.
The first stage of the project, which will see the reinstatement of 19 singletrack-kilometres of railway and two new modern accessible stations for the east of Fife, will include vegetation clearance and site survey and geological investigations.
Ahead of work starting, Network Rail has undertaken all necessary environmental and ecological surveys. Where any species have been identified, appropriate methods of working are in place to safeguard species, roosts and habitats of value.
The equipment which will be used to clear the vegetation will include chainsaws, and chipping machines as well as plant and machinery. This phase of work will also include surveying, drilling boreholes, sampling ballast and extracting core samples to assess the condition of the ground under the railway. A variety of equipment including boring rigs, and drills will be used all along the line with work ongoing until early 2021.
Graeme Stewart of Network Rail’s Levenmouth project team said: “Although still at a very early stage, it is fantastic to see work happening, literally preparing the ground and to inform the design of the line.
“We have been working on developing a range of options which will define what the project looks like and how it is delivered and, as part of this, we have been meeting with and listening to local groups and organisations in the area.
“The development and delivery of the project will be in discreet phases with the first visible work; removal of vegetation to enable site and geological investigation SI/GI the start of a process which will culminate in the community once again having access to the mainline rail network.
“As well as the promise of better connectivity this scale of investment to improve our transport infrastructure will help to deliver benefits to the economy. It will act as an enabler for growth, provide better access to employment and education opportunities and expanded social and leisure options for people all across the area.”
As part of the Scottish Government’s rail decarbonisation agenda, the line will also be prepared for future electrification.
Alstom signs agreement to
purchase Bombardier
The takeover of Bombardier Transportation by Alstom moved closer as Alstom announced that it signed the sale and purchase agreement with Bombardier Inc and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).
Henri Poupart-Lafarge, chairman and CEO of Alstom, said: “The acquisition of Bombardier Transportation represents a transformational change for Alstom. It will enable the Group to accelerate on its strategic roadmap and strengthen its leadership in the context of a dynamic market, at a time where sustainable transportation is at the heart of the global agenda.”
Bombardier Transportation will bring to Alstom complementary geographical presence to broaden Alstom’s commercial reach in key growing markets, strong product complementarities in rolling stock, strategic scale in services and signalling, industrial capacity in key countries, a leading portfolio offering and additional R&D capabilities to invest in green and smart innovation. Alstom will also welcome new talent and expertise, with the arrival of Bombardier Transportation employees.”
A €300m reduction in the price range has been agreed with Bombardier Inc and CDPQ. Excluding any further downward adjustments linked to the net cash protection mechanism, the price range for the acquisition of 100 per cent of Bombardier Transportation shares will be therefore €5.5 to €5.9 billion.
Following positive progress on antitrust regulation process, the closing of the transaction is now expected for Q1 2021 subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, with an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to be held on 29 October 2020.
Network Rail has published its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which forms a key part of its ambition for rail travel to be the cleanest, greenest form of mass transport. Although rail is already one of the greenest ways to travel, Network Rail wants to make it even greener so it can help tackle climate change and play a leading role in helping to build a green economy.
This is particularly important in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Though the long-term effects of the pandemic are not yet known, the railway has a huge role to play in supporting the government’s ambitions to build better. Network Rail wants passengers to know that it is committed to making the network as environmentally sustainable as possible.
The Environmental Sustainability Strategy is a guide to how Network Rail plans to manage the way the railway is run, to leave a lasting, positive environmental legacy for future generations. It also sets out important commitments around protecting the railway from the effects of climate change, improving biodiversity and minimising waste. Planting more trees and developing long-term strategies to improve the railway’s resilience in the face of climate change are just some of the ways the infrastructure owner will maximise the positive contribution of rail for its passengers, society and the UK economy, while minimising any negative impact on our natural environment.
Commenting on the launch of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Martin Frobisher, director of safety, technical and engineering at Network Rail, said: “Our aim is to serve the nation by providing the cleanest and greenest form of mass transport.
“We begin from a strong starting point. Rail is already green compared with other modes of transport but there is still a lot more that we can do. Today we are launching ambitious plans to reduce our emissions, improve our resilience to climate change and to be good for nature in the places where we operate.
“It is an exciting plan with many detailed commitments which will enable us to meet our targets. We will be working closely with our suppliers and with other industry partners to deliver these commitments.”
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