Channel 4 news - why are we not exploiting electric freight trains?

grahame

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Channel 4 news - why are we not exploiting electric freight trains?

« on: May 26, 2024, 20:23:29 »

Channel 4 news - https://www.channel4.com/news/why-is-the-uk-not-exploiting-technology-for-net-zero-trains

Quote

Pineapples and bananas, TVs and car parts: every day hundreds of thousands of items arrive at our container ports for onward delivery.

About 70 percent of them are then moved by road, using cheaper, polluting diesel lorries – not the cleaner rail network. If the freight train is electric, the journey is virtually carbon free.

We have the technology for net zero trains, so why aren’t we exploiting it?


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ChrisB

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Re: Channel 4 news - why are we not exploiting electric freight trains?

« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2024, 21:18:47 »

A - it's cheaper
B - there aren't enough paths if they were all electric
C - They aren't entirely electrified, needing bi-mode locos or expensive loco swaps


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grahame

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Re: Channel 4 news - why are we not exploiting electric freight trains?

« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2024, 05:29:57 »

Marked contrast UK^▸ to much of Europe - you can see lots of electric hauled freight around


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