Poop-powered bio trains to be introduced to Britain’s railways

Part of Britain’s plans to cut air pollution and harmful emissions will involve the introduction of lightweight, low-cost trains powered by biowaste. The government-backed proposal to help phase out polluting diesel engine locomotives will see them replaced by new “BioUltra” trains fuelled by human and food waste. The waste produces biomethane gas which, combined with a battery pack, is enough to cleanly power the modern train technology.

The BioUltra train model is able to carry 120 passengers and run along conventional train tracks. Its light weight also means the new trains will reduce track maintenance costs by causing less damage over time. The renewable energy technology could also be potentially retrofitted into existing diesel trains, repurposing them for a more sustainable future.

The train is to be developed over the next year and a half, and its introduction could even potentially see some of the 5000 miles of railway shut in the 1960s and 1970s reopened. The ‘Beeching cuts’ introduced several decades ago now saw passenger services along thousands of miles of tracks discontinued as financially unsustainable.

Electrification of railway lines is hugely expensive. That’s seen many stretches continue to use diesel engines because the cost of upgrading the lines is considered unfeasible. Plans to electrify lines in south Wales, the Lake District and East Midlands have been halted in recent years due to cost concerns. In total, just 38% of the UK’s rail network is electrified, which means we are far behind European neighbours such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

The UK government has committed to banning diesel locomotives from British railways by 2040. But they need to be replaced by alternatives that are both based on sustainable, green technologies that represent a viable cost model. With many lines unlikely to be electrified in the foreseeable future, if ever, that means the trains’ source of power has to be part of its own design. Plans for hydrogen and battery-powered trains are also being looked at.

The BioUltra train is being designed by Ultra Light Rail Partners (ULRP). ULRP consists of a partnership of experts from the rail industry and Birmingham City University. A 10 metre-long, 12-tonne mini-train able to carry up to 60 passengers has already been developed by the group. Based on that, it has now been handed a £60,000 grant from the Innovate UK government agency to launch a feasibility study into a full-sized version.

The full-sized train would be 20 metres-long, weigh 20 tonnes and able to carry 58 seated passengers, with 62 additional standing spaces. The anticipated weight of the train is around half that of a standard diesel engine. That means it will both do less damage to the tracks and require less power.

The biomethane that will power the vehicle is generated from waste from humans and farm animals, as well as discarded foods and plant material. It produces no dangerous nitrogen dioxide and producing it results in a net reduction of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Another benefit to the technology is that the train will be almost silent. It will be able to reach a top speed of 50 mph, with a range of 2000 miles on a full biomethane tank, which means it will be most suited to fulfilling commuter journeys in and between towns and cities.

If the feasibility study is positive, the group will apply for a second £3 million grant to begin construction of the trains. BioUltra project lead Beverley Nielsen commented:

“We want to be able to offer this option to larger towns and smaller cities around the UK so they can realistically take polluting vehicles out of their city and town centres, improving quality of life for all.”