RE: Re Debate anyone12 Nov 2018 16:33
I am pleased to see a recurrence of this debate which was unfortunately shot down/stifled before it had a chance to be properly discussed last time.
If you consider the Intercity 125 which has been the workhorse of high speed travel in the UK for decades, these have a power plant at the front and back of the train. In series 3 episode 1 of Paddington 24/7 the cost of electrification was discussed as being £1m per km. Given the distances involved this is a huge cost but for environmental reasons the industry needs to move away from diesel. It was also mentioned in the same episode that the new trains coming on stream are hybrid. They can run on both electric and diesel and so far can travel as far from London as Didcot where the electrification has been completed (this may have been extended by now) before having to switch to diesel.
I theorised during the last mini-debate that if you can stick a battery at each end of the train, this will allow you to run on electrical "mains" as much as possible but provide power to travel non-electrified sections. This is not the same as a theory that you can run an entire line on mobile VRFB's.
Consideration needs to be given that the £1m figure can be hugely exceeded depending on the terrain and obstacles that are in the way. Previously large capital projects have been required for electrification which included the need to literally lift an entire road over a bridge, raise the bridge by several inches and re-lay so there is sufficient clearance for the overhead cables. Also there are long tunnels that have no current clearance. A recent electrification project of the Barking to Gospel Oak line was budgeted at £133m, that is for a line just 22km in length. A chunk of this cost was related to the need to raise a bridge at Holloway Road and lower the track bed and replace with a solid bed for a section of the line to ensure electrification clearances.
A battery (of any description) would therefore serve multiple purposes. It would allow bridging runs between installations where there are insufficient clearances such as through an old tunnel. It will also allow trains to continue to cost prohibitive destinations where passenger numbers do not currently justify the expense of electrification. Primarily it would significantly reduce the cost of electrification projects where large chunks of the budget are spent on small sections of the line. Simply use an on-board battery to bridge the gaps and remove those large capital costs (and inconvience to locals) these projects require.
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