ALEX BURROWS, DIRECTOR OF THE BIRMINGHAM CENTRE FOR RAILWAY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, EXPLAINS HOW THE CENTRE WILL WORK WITH PORTERBROOK TO TRIAL HYDROGEN POWER ON A CLASS 319 EMU
Alternative forms of power are the topic of the moment. With the Government encouraging a move away from diesel-only trains, the industry is looking at how trains can be powered away from overhead wires. Hydrogen power is high up this list. Alstom is introducing its iLint train in Germany, the first example of a hydrogen-powered train entering commercial service on a main line railway.
Looking to bring the technology to the UK, Porterbrook Leasing is partnering with the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) to develop a prototype hydrogen train. The trial unit is No 319001, one of a large number of the Porterbrook-owned fleet which has gone off-lease from Thameslink. Porterbrook is already developing a diesel bi-mode version of the ‘319’, known as the ‘Flex’ (Class 769), but now sees the potential for a HydroFlex variant.
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Alex Burrows, Director of BCRRE, explains that the aim with the prototype is to demonstrate the possibilities of hydrogen power. BCRRE has its own experience with the 10¼-inch …
