All diesel traction gone by 2040 ?

New ministers always go a little mad in the early days of the job. The new railways boss, Jo Johnson, will make a speech proposing to “phase out” all British diesel engines by 2040. He calls it an “aspiration”.

What if ALL diesel rail traction is banned by 2040 including preserved locos ?

 

Nurse Nurse, he's out of bed again........................

 

Led to this even more bloody stupid column: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/12/diesel-steam-trains-rail-electricity

I'd consider pointing out why it would be astronomically expensive to implement and run if it weren't so obviously a sod-it-that'll-do last-thing-on-a-Friday-afternoon brain fart.

 

It is the phase out of diesel only. I imagine that the inclusion of the word "only" means that like with cars, there is a plan to allow hydrids.

 

I suspect strongly it is irony rather than a proposal.

 

I wouldn't worry about banning diesel heritage, though. Heritage rail is a huge tourist industry and to deliberately hobble that, you'd have to be a bunch of absolute chancers with no interest in anything beyond your own personal advancement, no sense of value and a myopic obsession with cutting cost to the point of selling off the family silver and...actually maybe we should be a bit worried.

 

I don't think for a moment he's seriously suggesting it. But even as a bit of frivolity it fails.

 

I was thinking about this as it said on the news diesel only powered. So we are there then. Sorted. (I assume there are no diesel mechanicals left anywhere in the UK except on preserved lines ) My other thought was that the alternative if government don't want to pay for electrification is obvious too, proven simple technology, been around on rails since 1804!

 

And I could save them several thousand pounds without the need to commission a study. No, It's not financially viable. Scrap them and buy new purpose built hybrids. There, problem solved!

 

The only way that a 159 will become a bi mode is a separate electric only vehicle added to the formation, as suggested for Voyagers about 10 years ago. I seem to remember the old chaps talking years back that the Hampshire DEMU's were designed to be converted to emu's. The target was some time in the late 1960's when various cross country routes in Hampshire were electrified.

If we had non powered passenger vehicles and separate high power haulage units instead of multiple units, only the power vehicles would need to be replaced. For those without long memories look up how the Bournemouth line was operated after the electrification in 1967. Otherwise look at Swiss IC operations with push pull trains worked by electric locos.

There we are, that's another consultants idea previewed and saving the DfT and NR millions of pounds. ( And it allows for peacemeal extension of the electrification as and when the DfT need to prove they can release money and look progressive.)

So the shopping list for Trans Pennine 25kv electrification is a batch of 2nd hand 86's to change over with the 68's and second driver trailers for the other end of the coaching sets. Electric attached to one end, DL detached from the other or vice versa.

Cheers, Neil

 

Simon Jenkins was very definitely extracting the micturate from Johnson Minor, who seems to be carrying on the attention-seeking traditions of his brother.

Let's consider this seriously for a moment.

If we say "hybrid train" we're talking something like the IEP. Which needs electricity. But hang on a minute: the Government has cancelled a lot of worthwhile electrification projects - infill ones that would help with diversions, e.g Peterborough to Ely - or cut them back. These same infrastructure cutbacks that have led to the ECML debacle. So what now? Either there's a cunning and hidden plan for mass electrification we're not party to - or someone's blown the dust off the Serpell report.

 

Unwittingly, a new power source has been discovered - hot air from politicians. Seriously the don't give a scwbi, as they will have taken their pensions ten years before any the policy decisions come home to roost.
Sorry - cynic mode now switched off!

Cheers, Neil

 

In my experience, realism is often misidentified as cynicism by those maintaining a hopelessly optimistic outlook in the face of obvious and overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

 

If and only If, That if it did come true with the Diesel ban by 2040 it would put a lot of the preservation world in turmoil, its not just Diesel locomotives it also effects preserved buses, coaches and lorries, and ultimately if a steam ban comes in that will in effect be the end of the preservation world, I can see a lot of owners unloading their assets at bargain prices. But this is all IF.

 

Must have been a slow news day, for this drivel to reach the masses....

 

Totally agree with what's been written above, even IF this shower put electrification back on the cards and we get a bit of infill there will ALWAYS be some track that will never be wired, like Wick, Whitby and Pwilleli wire will never reach them so you would have bi-modes up to say Salop then use more diesel dragging around the electric bits the other 100 odd miles, add that to the fact some brand new DMU's will be delivered in the next couple of years the dft either review the specs at a cost of X millions or comparatively new trains being thrown away in a few years madness. Still this is another example of this government telling somebody to do something more with less money then get all offended when somebody points out that isn't how real life works

 

70 Years too late imho

 

Aren't Alstrom developing hydrogen fuel cell trains in Germany?

 

http://www.alstom.com/press-centre/...coradia-ilint-first-successful-run-at-80-kmh/

They have indeed. I believe production orders have been placed, can't remember by who though.