Platform for Electromobility’s Post

As decarbonization efforts continue across the rail industry, determining the best path forward is a complex endeavor, driven by many variables. In an interview with MIT Technology Review, our Rail and Transit Vehicle Technology Lead Marcin Taraszkiewicz, P.E. discusses the challenges facing decarbonization in the rail industry. https://lnkd.in/g6EGB2sd #FreightRail #Decarbonization

INNOVATION: DECARBONIZING RAILWAYS WITH COST-EFFECTIVE ELECTRIFICATION The future of rail is electrified - and with a twist! Groupe SNCF is pioneering a new approach to decarbonizing lightly trafficked lines with #CostEffectiveElectrification, offering a sustainable and affordable solution without the need to electrify entire routes. Here’s a look at how this #Innovative method works and the challenges ahead. Instead of the traditional model of complete electrification, which can be costly and impractical for some lines, SNCF is leveraging battery-powered trains combined with strategic electrification (aka "just enough electrification") to reduce reliance on diesel while keeping costs manageable. Key Highlights from Experts: Thomas JOINDOT, Vincent Delcourt, christian courtois :: #Flexibility is Key: Battery trains allow for on-board energy storage, meaning only sections of the track need to be electrified. This approach is ideal for lines that don't justify full electrification but still need to decarbonize. :: #StrategicApplication: The focus is on both freight and regional passenger services, including lines like the Aix-Marseille route in southern France, where battery trains will replace diesel in a fully carbon-free solution. :: #CostSavings: While electrification infrastructure requires investment, the long-term cost of running electric trains is far lower than diesel-powered locomotives, making the shift to electrification not just an environmental win, but also a financial one. SNCF’s commitment to #NetZeroEmissions by 2050 and a 30% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 is driving these innovations. As only 1,415 km of France's 15,000 km rail network is currently electrified, scaling up cost-effective electrification will be crucial in meeting these ambitious targets. By re-thinking electrification and blending cutting-edge technologies like battery trains, we’re creating a more sustainable, cost-efficient rail system for the future. What about exploring similar innovations? #RailInnovation #SustainableTransport #SmartMobility #BatteryPoweredTrains with Alstom

🚄 Electrification of Railways: A Greener Way to Travel 🚄 Is #RailElectrification the key to sustainable transportation? 🚆🔋 💡 Why it matters: Electrifying rail networks reduces reliance on diesel, cuts emissions, and offers a more energy-efficient mode of transport. 🌟 Benefits: 🔺Reduced Emissions: Significantly lowers greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. 🔺Energy Efficiency: Electric trains are more efficient than diesel-powered ones. Performance: Electric trains offer higher speeds and better acceleration. 🔧 Challenges: 🔺Infrastructure Investment: High upfront costs for electrification projects. Grid Capacity: Requires robust electrical infrastructure to support the increased demand. 📊 Fact: According to the International Energy Agency, rail electrification could reduce global transport emissions by up to 6% by 2040. ❓How can we accelerate the electrification of our rail networks? #SustainableTransport #GreenMobility #CleanEnergy #TheEnergySpace

🚆 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥: 𝐀 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 Did you know the global train battery market is on the rise? Estimated at 𝐔𝐒𝐃 629.1 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 2024, it’s expected to grow to 𝐔𝐒𝐃 1,024.7 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 by 2034. This growth highlights the shift towards more sustainable and efficient energy solutions in the rail industry. As we move towards a more eco-conscious world, the train battery market is set to play an essential role in reshaping how we think about transportation. 🌱 What are your thoughts on the role of battery-powered trains in sustainable transit? Join the conversation! 🔗 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸. #TrainBatteryMarket #SustainableTransportation #GreenRail #EnergyInnovation #FutureTrends

Few rail lines in the US are electrified. Hydrogen-electric rail technology may be a zero-emission alternative to diesel powered trains. Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler and the state of California recently agreed to a $127 million deal that will lead to the construction of six additional zero-emission, hydrogen-powered passenger trains. According to Caltrans these train sets are "more efficient, lighter weight and more affordable than traditional locomotive-hauled coaches." And unlike conventional locomotives that rely on dirty energy sources, hydrogen-powered trains minimize the pollution of planet-warming gases because they produce just water and heat as byproducts. https://lnkd.in/ekkfeDD8

Exciting News! Global Railway Review presents the latest Track Insight: Decarbonisation. This report dives into the latest advancements in rail technology to achieve decarbonisation, showcasing rail as the most carbon-efficient mode of transport. With global net-zero targets in sight, the rail industry is on the brink of transformative changes. Highlights Include: In-depth analysis of the rail sector's green revolution potential Carbon-cutting technologies in American trains Freight's role in meeting net-zero targets Innovations in electric and zero-emission trains Decarbonising regional rail in the Netherlands Expert opinions from industry leaders Featuring insights from ÖBB-Holding AG, Freightliner, Amtrak, IDTechEx, ALLRAIL, Arriva Nederland, and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Register now to access exclusive articles, reports, and research! #Railway #Decarbonisation #Sustainability #GreenTransport #NetZero #Innovation #Freight #ElectricTrains #GlobalRailwayReview

Efficiency and resilience in transport systems are often viewed as conflicting concepts, but are they really? Last week, representatives from various sectors - road, rail, aviation, ports, and energy from the EU, USA, and New Zealand - came together for a rich discussion on this topic. Efficiency is about minimizing waste of time, effort, and resources, but for consumers, it's about journey times, accessibility, convenience, and costs. For those involved in planning, building, operating, and maintaining transport networks, it's about making transport "safer, greener, and smarter" by improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, minimizing the use of materials, and utilizing technology. On the other hand, resilience has become increasingly important due to our dependency on transport systems and their interdependency. Transport agencies are also faced with future-proofing in the face of technological change and climate impacts. The discussion also touched on electrification, competition for renewable energy, innovation, and collaboration. Smart technology is now used extensively in asset management, with significant cost savings. Bi-directional charging offers potential for cars and ships to become part of the energy network. Combining electricity grids for rail with those for cities offers an opportunity to increase capacity and balance demand. However, the key barrier to improving efficiency and building resilience is the need for collaboration within and between transport agencies, with others responsible for energy or the environment, with government, and with the public. What are your thoughts on this? Let's continue the discussion in the comments below. #transportation #efficiency #resilience #collaboration #innovation

Exciting News! Global Railway Review presents the latest Track Insight: Decarbonisation. This report dives into the latest advancements in rail technology to achieve decarbonisation, showcasing rail as the most carbon-efficient mode of transport. With global net-zero targets in sight, the rail industry is on the brink of transformative changes. Highlights Include: In-depth analysis of the rail sector's green revolution potential Carbon-cutting technologies in American trains Freight's role in meeting net-zero targets Innovations in electric and zero-emission trains Decarbonising regional rail in the Netherlands Expert opinions from industry leaders Featuring insights from ÖBB-Holding AG, Freightliner, Amtrak, IDTechEx, ALLRAIL, Arriva Nederland, and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Register now to access exclusive articles, reports, and research! #Railway #Decarbonisation #Sustainability #GreenTransport #NetZero #Innovation #Freight #ElectricTrains #GlobalRailwayReview

IMechE Decarbonising the UK Could battery trains decarbonise a third of the UK rail network? A third of the UK rail network does not need to be electrified to reach net zero, and could instead be decarbonised with battery trains. That is the claim of a new report published last week (11 April) by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), which said an order for a fleet of battery-electric trains “should be accelerated as a matter of priority”. The rail network is already 38% electrified, and proposed or in-progress government plans will increase that to 51% over the next 10 years or so, according to the RIA. The new strategy identifies a further 15% of routes for electrification – which, combined with 34% battery trains, could decarbonise all passenger services and 95% of freight.

#Hydrogen #ElectricTrains #Austria #FranzHörl #HelmutSchreiner #ZillertalRailway #Stadler #ViennaUniversityOfTechnology #TUWien "The Zillertal Railway in the Austrian state of Tyrol has scrapped plans to replace its diesel trains with hydrogen-powered alternatives, after an independent study recommended the line could be decarbonised at more quickly and at a much lower cost with batteries — either alone, or in a hybrid strategy with new overhead lines. The railway had first announced plans in 2018 to operate hydrogen-powered trains instead of diesel by 2025. However, the planned first five units from manufacturer Stadler — which would have cost €75m and were meant to be in operation in 2022 — were never ordered, over uncertainty from both state and federal governments regarding how the project would be financed. At the time, local newspaper Mein Bezirk reported that the chairman of the Zillertal Railway supervisory board Franz Hörl was continuing to push for the hydrogen trains despite increasing criticism over cost. “From the Tyrolean Landhaus and from the Greens, we hear again and again that electrification is cheaper or better, but our technical director Dr Schreiner has refuted this several times,” he reportedly said. “We can’t turn around on the home stretch and put a project that has progressed so far in the drawer.” However, Helmut Schreiner — chief technology officer for the Zillertal Railway when the hydrogen trains project was proposed — was last year ousted after local reports revealed that he had not only fraudulently posed as having a doctorate since 2019 despite only submitting his thesis in 2023, and that his eventual thesis submission was almost entirely plagiarised. ... As such, the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) was commissioned to independently assess six different drivetrains for a decarbonised route, although the state of Tyrol has ruled out the installation of overhead lines along the full Zillertal railway due to how land ownership is structured and high investment costs. While a full report is yet to be published, it revealed its preliminary results to the state government: battery-powered trains on the whole route, or using overhead lines on some sections and relying on batteries on others, are the most cost-effective options. “In the opinion of TU Wien, the hydrogen concept pursued since 2018 was the right thing to do at the time, but has now been overtaken by battery technology,” according to a state government press release. As such, this week, Tyrolean government has decided to officially start planning for charging infrastructure to electrify the Zillertal Railway, with decarbonisation set to take place between 2025 and 2030. Stadler has previously suggested that battery-electric trains in Europe will almost always be cheaper and more efficient than hydrogen-powered options to operate on sections of railway without overhead lines. ..."