At present, many countries in the world are planning to phase out diesel engines with serious pollution, while in Britain, the trains running on its railways may one day use gasoline made from human and animal droppings and waste food.
This environmentally-friendly single-section rail car is called "BioUltra", and the idea comes from the team of engineers led by Worcester Ultra Light Rail Partners. The car is 66 feet (20 meters) long, can carry up to 120 passengers, and has a top speed of 50 miles per hour. It will convert biomethane into electric energy, charge the battery of the train and drive the engine.
The project received a 60,000-pound grant from Innovate UK, a non-departmental research fund of the British government. This is also the second time the team has won such an award. I got 350 thousand pounds before, and it was used to build a smaller 60-person rail car earlier this year.
This "mini-train" is about 33 feet (10 meters) long and weighs about 12 tons. It was tested at the Long maston test base of Motorail in July this year.
In addition, after the COVID-19 epidemic, the new train also meets the safety and health requirements, such as ultraviolet lighting, copper surface that can kill viruses, plastic shielding and strong ventilation.
BioUltra trains will be able to replace diesel trains with strong pollution, high noise and low efficiency on small feeder lines, which are not electrified due to high infrastructure costs.
The British government announced plans to phase out diesel-powered trains on British railways by 2040, and turn to alternative fuel sources, including biogas, hydrogen and battery-powered trains.
Unlike diesel engines, vehicles powered by biomethane will not emit toxic nitrogen dioxide-and will actually completely remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Although the fuel comes from different sources, methane has no smell.
"There is no doubt that biomethane can be proved to be the most environmentally friendly fuel." Christopher Maltin, technical director of Ultra Light Rail Partners, said.
"I am very happy to see that this locally produced sustainable fuel will continue to be used in this new tram after the world’s first tram powered by biomethane came out."
He added: "Biogas as a fuel, plus no particles caused by tire degradation or road wear, will create the cleanest public transport in terms of air quality and climate change."
The train will run on the conventional track, but because of its light weight, it is only about 20 tons, less than half of the ordinary diesel rail car. It will also reduce the wear and tail on the rail and help reduce the network maintenance cost.
The capacity of BioUltra’s fuel tank makes its maximum range between gas stations about 2000 miles.
As part of the government’s plan to reverse the "Beeching Axe" from 1960s to early 1970s, the team envisioned that BioUltra railcars would run a "start-and-go" shuttle service on the existing lines, and hoped to use it on the recently reopened lines.
The "Bichin Axe" project was the idea of Richard Bichin, then chairman of British Railway Company. It planned to close 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles of railway to improve the railway network and cope with the competition of road transportation.
Although strong public opposition successfully saved some lines, the plan still led to the abandonment of about one-third of Britain’s railway network. The government has set up a fund of 500 million pounds to lift these closures and reconnect towns all over Britain to the national railway network.
For example, the planned development projects include connecting Stourbridge town and Brierley Hill in the central part, and increasing shuttle service between Great Malvern and new Worcestershire Parkway stations.
Beverley Nielsen, head of BioUItra project, said: "We are very happy to get the second grant from Innovate UK, successfully complete our first Innovate UK project and develop the first train powered by biomethane in the UK."
"This is really a vote of confidence in our business, which is completely focused on providing lightweight and affordable rail car travel as an alternative to comfortable, modern, reliable and safe car travel."
"We hope to provide this choice for big towns and small cities in Britain, so that they can effectively drive polluting vehicles out of the city center and improve the quality of life for all."
"The recent monitoring by the West Midlands Sustainable Development Agency shows that reducing the level of PM2.5 by only 50% can reduce as many as 952 deaths in the West Midlands every year."