Trial of moveable overhead conductor system for freight terminals

[Greybeard33]

Might this be a game changer for electric freight? No need for a bi-mode loco or shunter.

Tarmac in overhead electrification trial

www.agg-net.com

The Decarbonization & Electrification of Freight Terminals (DEFT) project – trialled this week at Wellingborough freight terminal in Northamptonshire – is expected to decarbonize rail and lessen freight’s impact on passenger journeys.

Freight trains are typically loaded and unloaded from above, preventing the use of the high-voltage overhead cables used on mainline railways. As such, freight trains still rely on diesel to move in and out of terminals and passengers can be delayed by slower diesel freight trains on mainlines, or those waiting to be moved into a depot by a shunter.

However, Furrer+Frey GB have designed a moveable overhead conductor system whereby the overhead equipment supplying electricity to locomotives can safely move away once the train is in place and return when the train needs to move again.

Funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, the innovative system is being trialled at Tarmac’s aggregate facility in Wellingborough, in partnership with GB Railfreight.

Noel Dolphin, head of UK projects at Furrer+Frey GB, said: ‘The electrification of freight terminals is the biggest technological hurdle to net-zero rail freight and we have just overcome it.

‘The demonstrator shows how we can plug freight yards into electrified rail lines and operate them safely and efficiently with the locomotives we already have – meaning greener, cleaner, and better journeys.

‘This moveable conductor system means trains can pull in on electricity, disconnect from it to safely load and unload, then reconnect to travel on.’

From the photos, the system appears to consist of solid bar conductor mounted on cantilever arms that can swivel around their masts. The conductor is moved to the side of the track, clear of the wagons, during loading/unloading.

 

[swt_passenger]

This has been mentioned a few times in the main MML electrification thread, starting about here:

MML Electrification: progress updates

Little happening at the Napsbury Access Point adjacent to the North Orbital Trading Estate when I had a look today (30/01/22): Notice on fence adjacent to entrance: Not clear if this is past, current or to come work!

www.railforums.co.uk

…although with hindsight that probably wasn’t the right place to start discussing it.

 

[Greybeard33]

This has been mentioned a few times in the main MML electrification thread, starting about here:

MML Electrification: progress updates

Little happening at the Napsbury Access Point adjacent to the North Orbital Trading Estate when I had a look today (30/01/22): Notice on fence adjacent to entrance: Not clear if this is past, current or to come work!

www.railforums.co.uk

…although with hindsight that probably wasn’t the right place to start discussing it.

Ah, apologies for duplication. That is not a thread I follow. Although I think it is only in the past couple of weeks that the trial has caught the attention of the technical press, e.g. NCE:

UK first rail freight electrification trial unveiled in Northamptonshire | New Civil Engineer

The Decarbonisation & Electrification of Freight Terminals project was funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK through the First

www.newcivilengineer.com