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There are some rail freight automation concepts being developed in America, which could radically change the way rail freight works. One is Parallel Systems, which are essentially self-drive battery-powered wagons that join up (no couplings) and separate again as needed, with a focus on short-haul freight (by US standards) and wagons direct to customers. They are trialling with G&W. https://www.moveparallel.com/product
Parallel’s autonomous battery-electric rail system integrates into today’s rail operations to deliver a safer, cheaper alternative to trucking. Parallel vehicles are capable of hauling intermodal containers up to 500 miles on a single charge.
They self-sort and assemble into platoons, flexibly navigating the rail network, without the limitations of couplers. Through a suite of sensors, the vehicles constantly transmit vehicle health and position information, enabling smarter goods management and logistics.
Another, Intramotev, is similar but just for the 'last mile' and shunting operations - like a remote controlled car. And ability to retrofit onto existing stock. They seem to have at least 1 real-life use case, a quarry or similar.
Move better with Intramotev - Building battery-electric railcars that make rail faster and more flexible. Get in touch today.
intramotev.com
It turns a lot of operating principles on their head, and there's obviously a big difference between the US and UK, but what opportunities could there be for the UK in these concepts or in other ways of rail freight automation?
There are obviously standard driverless trains (like the iron ore trains in AU) but that subject has already been discussed in depth, unlike these more revolutionary concepts.
The Parallel Systems concept seems very complex, envisioning a wide network of autonomous vehicles self-organising. Questions arise. For example, how are unmanned vehicles going to throw hand-operated switches on typical secondary US freight lines.
Edit: Reading further, they claim to integrate tightly with established railroad control systems and rules, so their system doesn't replace the signalling, etc, but those sytems would need to be augmented to control the additional functionality (A sizable task in itself). Either switches will all need to be dispatcher remote-controlled, or roving staff might be deployed to meet trains at remote switches. The system would still save traincrew hours en route between switching locations.
The second idea is more practical in my view. Intramotev offers a retrofit bolt-on kit to convert any freight car into a remote control battery electric locomotive, so I guess that's competing with the conventional small battery shunter market. It's smart and possibly cheaper because it exploits the heavy parts from an existing common vehicle rather than requiring te construction of a brand new specialised chassis. They also offer the modular power packs as the basis for new unit trains with some ATO capability available. One aggregates application uses a short set of tipper cars that shuttle automatically between loading and unloading stations after human dispatch. Another application equips a conventional diesel loco-hauled rake to boost traction and store braking energy, without additional mid-consist and rear helper locomotives. I think this tech might be genuinely useful, if they can do it at a reasonable price.
Aggregates Tippers:
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An interesting video looking at the Intramotev concept:
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I think Intromotev's secret sauce is the ability to convert old cars and the vehicles' complete compatibility with conventional rail operations and mechanical coupling, which also allows cars to share energy, so a fully charged vehicle coupled to one that is depleted can assist both in achieving optimum performance over a projected combined range to the destination or next charging opportunity. Parallel, by contrast, requires brand new cars that are completely self-contained with virtual coupling and cannot be combined with other cars in a conventional train for a very long leg.
For either system, I haven't seen details of en route charging stations. A flying lead with plug coupler might suffice for some light industrial applications, but for more intensive use, a short switched ground conductor rail like GWRs West Ealing installation might avoid a human being present to connect and disconnect the cable.
Intromotev's concept appears to mount the new traction motor at the end of the freight car axle outside the bogie (truck) frame, taking full advantage of the wide American loading gauge right down to rail level. Similarly equipped bogies would likely not fit in much of Europe, especially the UK. A European/UK edition would need a significant redesign in this area.
Parallel's vehicles have more elegant lightweight inside-frame bogies and inboard motors. I assume the battery is a flatpack beneath the loadbed, unlike Intromotev's big black box fixed on the chassis at one end. I assume a lighter car is possible because, without couplers, they can never be included in a conventional manifest train so don't need to withstand the usual buffing loads mandated by the FRA. Both types of traffic can interwork on the same track as long as the route and all traffic using it is equipped with a suitable PTC (positive train control) system. This has been the case for lighter 'European spec' passenger rolling stock for some time in the USA.
Initially skeptical, I was also uncomfortable with these ideas' complete dismissal by Adam Something and Gareth Dennis (though I agree with their general opinion that patented gadgetbahns should be avoided for passenger transport). I'm becoming more interested in these freight systems now. Most fascinating is how Intromotev is claiming to be dramatically improving the efficiency and cleanliness of lithium extraction at various mine sites. That's likely to remain a strong market and is also helping to address shortages in the battery market on which the company depends.
Thanks for your detailed response. The railways haven't seen significant innovation for decades, and if there's systems being developed that can make rail freight more viable that's a big positive. Be interesting to discuss potential applications. Large commercial sites like quarries/refineries etc seem a likely one. It also could change the viability of much smaller loads than typical block trains, especially if this can be overnight traffic where there's generally a lot of unused capacity.
The "direct to consumers" probably means needing to build sidings for small factories and warehouses. These are the kind of thing which are easy to use when they already exist, but hard to build new.
I hope "short lines" are introduced to the UK- rather like some of the smaller Swiss private railways (such as the 4km Oensingen-Balsthal Bahn). They sort of overlap with some of the UK's heritage railways, but are part of the actual freight network and rarely passenger carrying. Much like heritage railways, most of them were downgraded from being small parts of much larger railway networks, but almost all short lines connect to at least one major railroad, sometimes two.
Ultimately, any revival in British railfreight would probably be tied to a revial in domestic industrial production- things like huge cross country steel trains are harder to support otherwise.
The "direct to consumers" probably means needing to build sidings for small factories and warehouses. These are the kind of thing which are easy to use when they already exist, but hard to build new.
They're particularly difficult if they all need to be up to 1000m long with a run-round! Small reversible freight units could use smaller stub terminals with minimal pointwork. Smaller terminals with less road traffic might be easier to get planning approval for.
I hope "short lines" are introduced to the UK- rather like some of the smaller Swiss private railways (such as the 4km Oensingen-Balsthal Bahn). They sort of overlap with some of the UK's heritage railways, but are part of the actual freight network and rarely passenger carrying. Much like heritage railways, most of them were downgraded from being small parts of much larger railway networks, but almost all short lines connect to at least one major railroad, sometimes two.
Ultimately, any revival in British railfreight would probably be tied to a revial in domestic industrial production- things like huge cross country steel trains are harder to support otherwise.
I think there's further potential in intermodal distribution traffic, and this kind of tech could assist. A consist of self-powered units could be loco-hauled for a higher-speed main line leg to a yard where portions could be split off and moved autonomously at more modest speeds later to several smaller terminals, perhaps overnight on single track lines when there's no passenger traffic. Those smaller terminals could be equipped with rail charging facilities for the journey back, perhaps engineered as part of a road charging station for the trucks operating from the terminal.
While part of the mainline formation, the motor-equipped cars could charge themselves from regenerative braking energy. Some of this could be used to assist the loco in starts and hill climbing, while a charging plan for the duty might retain sufficient for each unit to make the last leg to the terminal, or it might pick up a fast charge at the yard. One of the Intromotev renders shows a cab on a vehicle so the semi autonomous remote mode could include the operator riding on the train. For moderate speed movements that might be fairly rudimentary, perhaps with a dock to hold and recharge the portable remote control console.
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intramotev.com
