THE Government’s aspiration to have a carbon-neutral railway is expected to eventually lead to electrification of the greater part of the network. But the long-standing challenge of the ‘final mile’ to reach terminals, and the reality that some secondary routes used by freight trains will not be electrified, remains.
This means that the next standard locomotive is likely to be a bi-mode machine capable of operating at dual voltages and offering a competitive haulage capability over non-electrified lines.
PAST ‘STANDARDS’
Railways have long had the goal of standardisation for traction because of the benefit of simplifying maintenance procedures and the provision of spare parts, as well as removing the need for drivers to have traction knowledge across a variety of different train types.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Rail Express.
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This story is from the December 2020 edition of Rail Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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