Lower cost rail electrification.
Posted: 01 Apr 2024, 15:50
Electrified railways are in general a good thing as diesel oil use is thereby reduced.
Significant extension of of conductor rail schemes is de facto banned due to the risks.
Extensions of 25 KV AC are hugely expensive.
I therefore suggest an alternative for branch lines and lightly used rail routes, namely overhead electrification at 750 volts DC. This is already used for tramways, so the equipment is fairly standard.
Trains powered by 750 volts DC are a well understood system, widely used in the South East and on Merseyside, the train need not "know" that the supply is from an overhead wire rather than from a live rail.
Advantages include
Lower cost of the overhead line equipment, smaller insulators and reduced clearances. Equipment less visually obtrusive.
Cheaper to supply the traction current with less need for costly grid upgrades.
The main drawback is the reduced power available, if the current is to be limited to a reasonable figure. 25 KV AC would still be needed for high speed mainlines, or those routes handling long and heavy freight or passenger trains.
But for branch lines that are at present diesel powered it sounds worth pursuing.
Dual voltage trains cold be used for through services, some already exist.
Significant extension of of conductor rail schemes is de facto banned due to the risks.
Extensions of 25 KV AC are hugely expensive.
I therefore suggest an alternative for branch lines and lightly used rail routes, namely overhead electrification at 750 volts DC. This is already used for tramways, so the equipment is fairly standard.
Trains powered by 750 volts DC are a well understood system, widely used in the South East and on Merseyside, the train need not "know" that the supply is from an overhead wire rather than from a live rail.
Advantages include
Lower cost of the overhead line equipment, smaller insulators and reduced clearances. Equipment less visually obtrusive.
Cheaper to supply the traction current with less need for costly grid upgrades.
The main drawback is the reduced power available, if the current is to be limited to a reasonable figure. 25 KV AC would still be needed for high speed mainlines, or those routes handling long and heavy freight or passenger trains.
But for branch lines that are at present diesel powered it sounds worth pursuing.
Dual voltage trains cold be used for through services, some already exist.