This project will develop both an overarching implementation strategy and a methodology to enable the ongoing deployment of the most effective, efficient, and appropriate technological solutions to decarbonise rail transport.
Our approach will lead to a shared implementation plan that will enable electricity and gas networks to factor in rail decarbonisation when they are planning their own infrastructure investments.
TDNS: Through the production of the TDNS, Network Rail already has a strong starting point. However, a key weakness of the current TDNS is that it does not consider the capacity or role of existing and emerging electricity and gas network infrastructure to deliver rail decarbonisation.
Our project will address this. Our analysis will lead to a TDNS implementation strategy and methodology to support decision making on rail decarbonisation options. Our methodology will consider current constraints in the hydrogen/electricity systems and identify the steps needed to overcome these.
Rail Operator Use: Ultimately, our methodology will allow rail operators to identify the parameters, criteria, and recommendations for decarbonisation of specific parts of the rail network. This would identify whether electrification, hydrogen or a combination of both, is the most effective way to deliver decarbonisation of different parts of the rail infrastructure.
Energy System Use: Our implementation plan will identify how the rail decarbonisation can better integrate as part of a wider energy systems approach. For instance, informing the location of future hydrogen filling facilities in locations that intersect between rail transportation and road haulage or enabling energy balancing services through hybrid systems
Project Partners and Supporters: Our project consists of partners from a range of sectors, along with expert consulting organisations. This creates a strong consortium which will help operationalise the plan through using it within their decision-making processes.
Impact: This innovation is essential for the successful decarbonisation of the rail sector. The project will support the decision making of rail infrastructure owners and operators and electricity and gas networks. Ultimately it will benefit both consumers of rail services and energy services by enabling reliable, low carbon transport for all.
Beta Phase: If progressed to the Beta phase, our intention is to pool investments from within the rail sector to demonstrate the technology along a selected line, potentially building a hybrid electric/hydrogen demonstration facility/project.
Problem Bring Solved
The UK Government, as part of its pathway to net zero, has developed a Transport Decarbonisation Plan (2021) (https://northerngas.sharepoint.com/sites/innovationteam/Shared%20Documents/SIF/2021/ 1.SIF/202168%20EA%20Technology%20and%20Frazer%20Nash%20Consulting%20Rail%20decarbonisation%20planning/Final%20submission%20documents/SIF%202021%20Di scovery%20-%20Rail%20Decarbonisation%20(FINAL).docx#_ftn1)[1]. This plan sets out the necessity to decarbonise rail transport. For this to happen there is a need to remove all diesel-only trains from the network by 2040. This will only happen if there is an overarching strategic approach to identifying the most appropriate technology to be deployed for specific parts of the rail network.
Electrification: The main strategy for achieving net-zero will be the electrification of existing track. This will enable the use of renewable electricity for passenger and freight trains.
However, one of the key challenges is that this alone will not achieve decarbonisation of rail transport. This is because, although electrification will be achievable on some sections of the network, it is widely recognised that in some areas, particularly rural and remote areas, electrification may not be possible.
Alternative Technologies: This is why the Transport Decarbonisation Plan also identifies the need to develop alternative technologies such as the development of hydrogen and battery trains to achieve complete decarbonisation of rail.
Challenge: There is currently no consistent mechanism for identifying the most appropriate, cost effective, and carbon efficient technology for any specific section of the network that takes into account the availability of electricity or hydrogen along the route. This is a critical issue which will impact on the solutions available for specific parts of the network. This current lack of an effective methodology, owned by the rail industry and energy stakeholders, is the key problem that this project will seek to address.
Work to Date: Network Rail as part of a wide group of rail industry stakeholders has already developed its Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS). This already provides recommendations on which technology to deploy on each route. However, the TDNS has been developed without a mechanism to ensure that the energy infrastructure to support those solutions is in place. To achieve this requires collaboration and co-creation between rail networks and major energy stakeholders.
Opportunity: To support the full decarbonisation of the rail industry there needs to be a coordinated planning process to identify the appropriate decarbonisation technology within the wider context of issues such as availability of energy along rail routes. For instance, this could identify challenges around electricity network capacity and hydrogen refilling opportunities and how the use of these technologies may enable other opportunities
