High speed intermodal flat wagons

[Nottingham59]

When Rail Operations Group announced their order for 30 Class 93 locomotives, they said they would be used for high-speed intermodal freight:

Karl [Watts, CEO] considers that the Class 93 will be a true go-anyway mixed-traffic locomotive, with the ability to haul fast passenger trains and freight trains of up to 2,500 tonnes on fully electrified routes. Moreover, he considers that it could change the business paradigm of intermodal rail freight operations in which the commercial incentive is to maximise income by increasing train length, even though this increases running times.

He believes that the Class 93 could offer a more dynamic operation for modal freight, with an increased frequency of shorter trains running at higher speeds. This would also require faster container flats, for which ROG are also in discussions with various bodies to develop a high-speed freight bogie. In addition to being a more commercially attractive operating model, this would enable more freight trains to be run on a busy railway.

Extracted from: https://www.railengineer.co.uk/re-engineering-rail-freight/

Since then, I've not heard anything more about high-speed intermodals. Has anyone else seen any news?

Intermodal trains are currently limited to 75mph (I think). How practical would intermodal trains running at, say, 100mph be? The turbulence from a passing intermodal on the WCML is noticably more than any passenger train. One running at 100mph would generate three times the turbulence of one doing 75. I imagine this would be considered dangerous on platforms with public access. What do others think?

 

[HSTEd]

Deutsche Bahn has 160km/h container flats today.

 

[Nottingham59]

Deutsche Bahn has 160km/h container flats today.

Thanks! Can you point me to any more details? Are they allowed to pass platforms at that speed?

EDIT: I see that DB Netherlands offer intermodal flats rated to 140km/h (p108 in this document: https://nl.dbcargo.com/resource/blo...e7d64948/freight_wagon_catalog_v2011-data.pdf )

EDIT2: The SGSS / Type 703 intermodal wagon is rated to 160km/h. (p103 in the above document)
Also some details at https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/drrsss-y-bogie-for-rapid-freight-trains-in-germany/

These wagons were introduced 10 years ago. So why haven't high-speed intermodals been used in the UK?

 

[Halish Railway]

Deutsche Bahn has 160km/h container flats today.

But in this country this would necessitate fitting Yaw Dampers which likely couldn’t be done without going out of gauge. I honestly can’t see how the 75mph threshold can be exceeded for container wagons.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

The Eurotwins (FIA) which date to the opening of the Chunnel are rated at 140 kph. Snag is that they have to run on balanced wheelsets. (At which point the 'Too Difficult' light comes on.)
Pat

 

[Nottingham59]

But in this country this would necessitate fitting Yaw Dampers which likely couldn’t be done without going out of gauge. I honestly can’t see how the 75mph threshold can be exceeded for container wagons.

Maybe that's why it's all gone quiet since ROG made their announcement...

 

[ac6000cw]

You've got higher energy costs, probably higher leasing costs for more sophisticated wagons and probably higher track access charges due to higher dynamic track forces. All of which has to be paid for out of the extra you might be able to charge customers for a faster delivery...

 

[Chopper]

You've got higher energy costs, probably higher leasing costs for more sophisticated wagons and probably higher track access charges due to higher dynamic track forces. All of which has to be paid for out of the extra you might be able to charge customers for a faster delivery...

Except the key motivator is getting better paths and therefore spinning the resources quicker (loco & wagons). The small premium you could charge customers for speed is dwarfed by savings from better asset utilisation.

 

[Mollman]

EWS trialed 90mph intermodals on the WCML with class 90s and seem to want to make it last, but it didn't.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmtlgr/558/558ap20.htm

• EWS working with Railtrack to obtain authority to operate its class 67 locomotives at 125 mph and its intermodal container-carrying wagons at 90 mph in order to offer faster and thus more competitive freight services to UK industry in the near future.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmtran/145/145wea38.htm

Substantial investment in the rail freight industry has led to significant improvements in freight train speeds. Already express trains and mail trains run at 110 mph whilst the latest intermodal trains can now do 90mph and new coal wagons are designed for operation at 75mph. The rail freight industry has been steadily increasing average train payload and intends to continue to make better use of the network with heavier and longer trains. For example 102 tonne coal wagons are being introduced. These allow rail to move coal two thirds faster and using a third less trains.