Why don't they use more electrified railway lines in ireland?

roundymac

Site identified west of Youghal, objections already being talkied about.:mad: Evening Echo. (can't link it)

Mezzotint

There's already huge power generation (by Irish scale) between ESB Aghada and the neighbouring Bord Gais Energy plant a couple of KM away from it. So there's likely already capacity to connect the interconnector to the grid there.

It's an ideal not going to be a massive imposition and produced no emissions of any type at all.

roundymac

That gas field will run out in another few years I'm afraid.

IE 222

Belfast getting hydrogen powered buses. Not rail but will be interesting to see how this works out. Fuel will be produced from an energia wind farm in the North.

We should be really exploring this option now. Our network is perfect for this and would enable zero emissions trains to operate throughout the whole country without the large expense of electrifying. This would also maximize wind farms having the ability to produce hydrogen during down time.

L1011

IE 222 wrote: »

Belfast getting hydrogen powered buses. Not rail but will be interesting to see how this works out. Fuel will be produced from an energia wind farm in the North.

We should be really exploring this option now. Our network is perfect for this and would enable zero emissions trains to operate throughout the whole country without the large expense of electrifying. This would also maximize wind farms having the ability to produce hydrogen during down time.

The trains don't exist, so it would take longer than electrification for someone to actually make them, test them etc.

They would be VASTLY more expensive than conventional electric trains, as would the hydrogen distribution and filling system. So there's your expense delta gone.

And the time for crayons is past. Eamon Ryan's crayons have destroyed Metro South, lets not let another set destroy DART expansion. The vehicle and construction tenders have to go out imminently if we don't want the city to explode.

IE 222

L1011 wrote: »

The trains don't exist, so it would take longer than electrification for someone to actually make them, test them etc.

They would be VASTLY more expensive than conventional electric trains, as would the hydrogen distribution and filling system. So there's your expense delta gone.

And the time for crayons is past. Eamon Ryan's crayons have destroyed Metro South, lets not let another set destroy DART expansion. The vehicle and construction tenders have to go out imminently if we don't want the city to explode.

Firstly I did say this should be looked into not that we should be ordering these next week. Secondly I'm talking about a nationwide fleet not as a Dart replacement. The cost of electrifying the whole network would be massive.

The trains do exist and the current technology and achievements of hydrogen rail isn't far off what our diesel fleet can achieve now. The Germans have been running these for the past 2 years and seen as their ordering more of them I'd presume their very happy with them. The French expect to have them running by 2022 and the UK are testing them.

Hydrogen production and distribution facilities is a one off cost and will repay for itself after a number of years. Adding other forms of transport such as buses will make it even more viable.

L1011

Catenary installation is a one-off cost too. Both require maintenance.

Hydrogen is not and never has been the answer, for any form of transport. Its been played around with at no significant scale for decades; electric trains have been proven for a century.

dowlingm

There could be a niche for certain places, e.g. Cobh if Marino Point was still open, or if you could pipeline across from Whitegate. But otherwise you are tankering around fuel which is not energy dense and difficult to store and work with.

Whereas: put some catenary at (for example) Cork Kent, Midleton, Cobh and throw these lads on the line and off you go:
https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/alstom-signs-battery-electric-multiple-unit-contract/55711.article

IE 222

Not denying the success of electric trains but I feel your knocking hydrogen before it's even been tried and tested with the latest technology. Many more operators/countries are exploring and investing into this option and in many different ways. It will cost an awful more to electrify our whole network than it would to build hydrogen production facilities.

Generating hydrogen should be a relatively easy for us to do. We are going to see more and more wind farms pop up. Using these during down time to produce hydrogen is a very effective way of maximizing our energy grid.