The Rail Engineer feature “Getting electrification done: the net-zero imperative” with its electrification map attracted a great deal of interest. An updated version of this feature has also been published in Modern Railways magazine.
The magazine’s editor, David Shirres, also gave a sell-out Zoom presentation on this topic to the Railway Division of Institution of Mechanical Engineer on 2 July. This was entitled “What is the judicious mix?” in view of the recommendation in the report by the rail industry decarbonisation task force that a judicious mix of electric, hydrogen and battery traction is needed to decarbonise rail traction.
The presentation answers the judicious mix question as well as addressing wider decarbonisation issues such as modal shift to rail, zero-carbon electricity generation and the supply of hydrogen. It showed how the electrolyser plant that supplied Aberdeen’s fleet of ten hydrogen buses offers lessons for hydrogen trains.
The IMechE’s Railway Division has seven Centres throughout the UK (Midlands; Milton Keynes; North East; North West; Scottish; South East and South West) which each provide regular technical presentations. During the Covid emergency, the Centres are planning to hold virtual presentations until at least December.
For further information about these events google the Centre name, IMechE and Railway.
