From Diesel to Zero Trains Conference – Conclusions Published

The Conference Conclusions from the ‘From Diesel to Zero –  Developing the Potential of Zero Emission Trains’ have now been published.  The Conference was held at the Manchester Conference in the Pendulum Hotel (see photograph below) at the end of September 2019 and was organised by European Policy Solutions with the support of CMB Technologies.

Around 60 participants attended the Conference and they came from a wide range of backgrounds which included policymakers, transport authorities and companies from the hydrogen and rail industries.  The Conference mainly discussed developments in the UK but also looked at progress at an international level and included speakers from the European Commission and mainland Europe.

The Conference looked specifically at  hydrogen, fuel cell and battery electric trains when considering zero emission trains.  Recent policy and political debates in the United Kingdom have added urgency to the need to address the decarbonisation of the UK Transport Network.   The UK Committee on Climate Change recommended a net zero emissions target by 2050 and this was passed into UK law in June 2019.  The  Rail Industry responded with its Decarbonisation Task Force Report in July 2019

The Conference discussed the Policy Framework for the growing use of zero emission trains and strategies in the UK, European Commission and Germany were presented.  There was also an outline of wider international developments.

The Conference then looked at the recent progress in the development of battery and hydrogen fuel cell trains.   This centred primarily on Multiple Units but shunters and mainline locomotives were also discussed.  In terms of mainline locomotives, a system to develop  dual fuel and ICE trains was presented. This led into a discussion of the content of Research and Development Programmes to support technological change and the development  of Business Cases for shunters and mainline locomotives.

The Conference also considered the infrastructure that was needed to support battery and hydrogen fuel cell trains and the Afternoon Panel looked at the problem of moving from demonstration projects to large scale deployment.

The Conclusions can be found here