Regional and rural railways poses a huge problem for the railway to decarbonise. LORNA MCDONALD of Hitachi Rail and JAY MEHTA of Hitachi ABB Power Grids tell ANDY RODEN why they believe they have the answer.

Trial site: the hilly and curvy route between Newton Abbot and Penzance could be an ideal location for Hitachi and ABB Power Grids to test their hybrid battery/OLE technology. On 26 May 2021, GWR Class 802 No 802112 crosses the imposing Moorswater viaduct with the 16.15 Penzance to London Paddington.
Ken Brunt
‘Electrification is the utopian position everyone wants to achieve’ says Lorna McDonald, Hitachi Rail Head of Commuter UK. But achieving that happy state will take many years. For some rural routes, it is unlikely ever to be viable.