The Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel and the Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors (AERRL) have been cooperating on how to achieve a “net-zero rail fleet”. This collaboration is now taking more concrete steps, as new traction systems will be tested in three different use cases for rail freight.
The three use cases will be a long-distance, multi-voltage freight connection, shunting operations in port areas and a short-distance national freight connection. For this initiative, biofuels (such HVO, renewable gas and ammonia) and hybrid solution (electric-battery or electric-diesel) will be deployed, assessed and compared to traditional diesel traction.
Results by the end of the year
“The data to be used as a basis for Infrabel’s analysis will be ready in July. Infrabel will then begin the analysis, which should take about 6 months”, AERRL Secretary General Carole Coune told RailFreight.com. The locations for the use cases have not yet been chosen, she added. Once the tests are done, “Infrabel will lead a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis from a social perspective”, AERRL said.
This initiative follows a study carried out by AERRL, Akiem, Beacon and Cargounit at the end of April 2023. Among the main conclusions of this study was that a full electrification of European railways by 2050 is quite an unrealistic goal. Back then, HVO was proposed as a transitional solution, while battery-electric traction is considered as the most appropriate approach.