Hybrid High Speed Train unveiled (testing on British steam railway)

[Greeby]

http://www.railwaygazette.com/Articles/2007/05/04/3977/Hybrid+High+Speed+Train+unveiled.html

04 May 2007

ON MAY 3 Hitachi Europe unveiled 'Hayabusa', which it says is Europe's first battery-assisted diesel-electric power car. The hybrid drive has been installed in a British HST power car to allow realistic trials of the prototype technology, which Hitachi and its development partners Brush Traction, Network Rail and Porterbrook Leasing anticipate could reduce fuel consumption by 20%.

The hybrid train accelerates from a stand on battery power alone, with the energy management system blending in power from its Paxman Valenta diesel engine as the speed reaches 30 km/h. During braking the traction motors act as generators, with the energy charging the battery rather than being dissipated as heat. Allowing for energy losses in charging and discharging, Hitachi expects that around 80% of the regenerated braking energy will be recovered for the next powering cycle.-snip-

Hitachi is expecting a 20% cut in fuel consumption, but higher savings could be made with a new-build vehicles. These would have the batteries incorporated in the design from the start, with the 20 kg battery modules distributed throughout the train. Using battery power for acceleration means that a new-build vehicle could have a smaller diesel engine and cooler group, resulting in an overall reduction in vehicle weight despite the battery. Further reductions are expected as battery technology advances, driven by demand from the automotive industry. 'The weight saving is marginal today, but might be significant in a couple of years' said a Hitachi engineer at the launch. Battery life is put at eight to 10 years, but this is also expected to improve as technology matures.

The HST is the first use of Hitachi's hybrid system in Europe, but a prototype New Energy Train has been on test in Japan since 2003 (RG 12.06 p758). JR-East is to begin revenue service with three hybrid DMUs in July, and their arduous commuter duty cycle with frequent station stops is expect to demonstrate higher fuel savings than the HST.-snip-


There's a short little youtube vid of it pulling away. The location is the Great Central Railway, which is a preserved section of the old main line which ran from London Marylebone through Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Sheffield, until BR in their "wisdom" :eyes: closed all but a short section of it

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. How much of the British rail system still uses diesel trains?

I suppose the routes which cross between different electrification systems (third rail, or overhead) are diesel, and some of the small lines may still be un-electrified, but I'd have thought the vast majority of rail traffic is already electric.

[Greeby]

2. Actually quite a lot of it

Other than the big south-of-london third-rail network, which was electrified way back in the 30's, and some suburban routes in the big cities. The only major lines that got it are the West Coast and East Coast Main Lines. Electrification over major lines costs a lot of money and takes years to do (The WCML took 10 years), hence why it doesn't get done.

And just as an aside, I hope this hybrid stuff works out, would hate the next time I go past a view like this at Dawlish, it's spoilt by wires and gantries