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youtube.com/watch?v=jN7bQ0MnP3…

This is Porterbrook's protoype hydrogen train. It's kind of nice but to me it begs the question: why not just electrify the lines in the conventional way? Producing and transporting the hydrogen for these things is surely going to consume many times more energy than conventional electric traction.


The Class 799 Hydrogen Train

Let's go for a ride on the Hydrogen Powered Train! This is an old 'Thameslink' train now converted by Porterbrook to be the Class 799 "Hydroflex" unit. I ...
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in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Sion [main]
Sion [main]
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What's the comparative up-front cost if infrastructure though? (cf having to pay to naintain and run hybrids on the Paddington--Swansea run because the funding for Cardiff--Swansea electrification was cancelled)
in reply to Sion [main]

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Sion [main] Electrification costs between £0.5m and £1.5m per single track kilometre. Maybe you can decrease that if you use battery power to bridge expensive bits.
in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Cyberspice
Cyberspice
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depends just how much infrastructure is needed to electrify. The TP route is taking years because they are having to raise bridges, rebuild stations and so on. Not including track straightening which they are also doing. If there’s an infrequent service on this line then it may make sense. Refuel at the depot end. Also if the depot IS electrified then that’s how you get the hydrogen there
in reply to Cyberspice

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Cyberspice I suspect discontinuous electrification with battery backup to bridge the gaps is the way to go if the infrastructure upgrades are too expensive. On the hydrogen point I was more thinking of how electrically expensive it is to make the stuff compared to directly powering the train.
@Cyberspice
in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Cyberspice
Cyberspice
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My understanding is that’s generally the plan. They are just looking at all possibilities I believe.
in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Cyberspice
Cyberspice
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What’s East West Rail? Is that the reopened Varsity line? Because the lines from Paddington to the West Country are electrified and the next major cross country route, Trans Pennine is currently being upgraded and already has bimode Class 80x s
in reply to Cyberspice

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Cyberspice Reopened Varsity line. The bit between Bedford and Cambridge is going to be on a different route and will be new build.
@Cyberspice
in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Cyberspice
Cyberspice
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Ah yes, the south, where they spend three times as much per capita on transport infrastructure than the north!
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