ELECTRIFICATION AND O.L.E.
A rolling programme of electrifi cation
Every electrifi cation project makes the business case for the next one slightly more attractive – and instituting a rolling programme of electrifi cation could also help ensure the workforce has the right skills without the need for expensive mass re-training. David Golding, Network Rail’s programme sponsor for electrifi cation in the North West and on the TransPennine route, explains more.
Europe – and Wales sits unhappily alongside only Albania as the continent’s only two countries with no electrifi ed track.
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In Wales’ case, that is to change soon, of course, with Great Western Main Line electrifi cation to Cardiff, but David Golding, speaking at this year’s Infrarail, made a strong case for much more widespread electrifi cation, on two key grounds: cost and carbon.
The network is currently 38% electrifi ed, though this will rise as projects that already have funding committed are completed, namely the GWML, the North West triangle, the TransPennine route from Manchester to York, and the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
The electric network accounts for 60% of train miles, however. Golding said: “Every new bit of electrifi cation makes it easier to make the business case for more in-fi ll, and makes it easier to convert DMUs, particularly, into EMUs, and reduce the amount of diesel operation under the wires.”
The business case
Making the case for electrifi cation is easy, Golding suggested: EMUs are better than DMUs in so many different ways – cheaper to maintain, lower fuel costs, cheaper to purchase or lease, lower track maintenance costs, a smoother ride for passengers, lower carbon emissions, and so on.
The carbon advantage of EMUs compared to DMUs – about 20-30% currently – will grow further as the sources of electricity generation nationally gradually switch away from fossil fuels to renewables.
But Golding said: “When we’re looking at the business case for electrifi cation, and when the DfT and Treasury are doing so, it’s all about rolling stock costs. That’s the key factor.”
The procurement costs associated with diesel vehicles, he said are rising too because most
50 | rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 12
he UK is “way behind the curve” on electrifi cation, compared to most of
other countries are doing much less diesel operation, meaning there are fewer new vehicles out there and less expertise and focus on diesel.
Reliability is another key issue: electric units generally have higher availability at the start of service and are more reliable in terms of overall performance than DMUs. EMUs also tend to have more seats, have no emissions at the point of use – particularly important in terminal stations – and can allow reduced journey times.
Golding said: “As the pendulum has swung and the gap between diesel operation and electric operation has grown, so the interest from Government appears to have grown as well.”
New horizons
Golding discussed the projects that already have committed funding, and added: “Interestingly, if electrifi cation reduces the cost of operating the network, there is a very strong link with the Northern Hub, which is very much focused on generating economic growth in the north.
“It’s interesting to think about them as very much complementary: both of them are about the wider impact on the UK economy, rather than necessarily just being railway schemes. The Northern Hub was conceived primarily as a means of helping to encourage economic growth in, particularly, the cities of the north, but importantly, to begin to close the economic gap between the north and the south. It started by setting out: what would the railway need to do to encourage economic growth across the north.
“Put together, you have two very important programmes that complement each other, and give us a real opportunity to, we hope, particularly following the HLOS in July, see a sizeable chunk of the Northern Hub approved. The important thing there is that electrifi cation, because it reduces the cost of operating the
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network, makes it more likely, and more feasible, for promoting the Northern Hub.”
Midland Main Line, GOBLIN and Cardiff Valley lines
Golding noted that the huge amounts of work that will be going on at the same time as electrifi cation, not only in the north west but also on the Great Western – Reading, Crossrail, signalling renewal, IEP, Swindon to Kemble redoubling, station improvements, and so on – “reinforces the need for the industry to consider a systems integration approach”.
He added: “This isn’t just about electrifi cation: this is about moving
towards…real
modernisation, of which electrifi cation is just one component.”
Looking forward to the currently unfunded projects, Golding highlighted three that have long been strong candidates: the Midland Main Line, the Cardiff Valley lines, and Gospel Oak to Barking in London (the affectionately named ‘GOBLIN’ – though TfL has recently put out a request for ‘expressions of interest’ from companies that could supply new DMUs for the line, which may suggest it is not confi dent the line will be electrifi ed any time soon).
Golding said: “The Midland Main Line, I guess, is probably the one we are most keen on seeing in the HLOS. This would see electrifi cation from Bedford through to Sheffi eld, via Derby, and Nottingham and Corby, with a signifi cant cut in carbon emissions. Again, looking at the fi nancial impact of these schemes, this would see the cost of running the route reduced by £30m each year.
Below: North west electrifi cation has required complex structure clearances, removals and upgrades.
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