New types of trains are needed to fully utilise high speed rail
We won’t see the very fast high speed trains running between Sydney and Melbourne for potentially 20 to 30 years. That’s how long it is likely to take to complete and fully-electrify the high speed line between these cities. That’s why we have to build the line in stages (see blog) and get as much value from it as we can after each stage.
That means we need to acquire different types of trains that can go faster on the sections of high speed line as it is rolled out, but also use the existing conventional line where it isn’t. Initially we will need non-electric trains to provide faster passenger services to regional cities. They will need to be configured for commuting (frequent services typically less than 1 hour travel time) and for long-distance travel (more comfortable services to regional centres further away). They could be diesel, but we should be investing in hydrogen fuel cells or battery-powered trains where possible.
Ultimately we will see the advent of fully-electric high speed trains providing regular very fast services directly to major regional cities and between our capital cities. But we will also want hybrid trains that use the high speed line where possible, and then use non-electrified conventional lines to get to regional centres off the high speed line. And it’s probable that we will use hybrid rail engines to pull freight trains, particularly at night, and maybe even specialised freight trains providing fast freight services for lighter goods.
All of this means we need to think carefully about what types of trains we need, when we need them, and how they will be managed over their lifetime.
Tilt trains
Fast tilt trains appear to be the logical choice to provide faster services when the first sections of high speed line are opened. Tilt trains are designed to run faster on very windy alignments, although they incur additional costs and complexity compared with non-tilting trains. Queensland has both electric tilt trains running from Brisbane to Rockhampton and diesel tilt trains from Rockhampton to Cairns.
Sweden has long had 200km/h tilt trains in a country with only 10 million people. On average, it takes around 3.5hrs to reach Stockholm from Gothenburg by train, with the fastest services getting there in 3hrs. There are typically 15 trains per day running the 396 km route between these two destinations. In comparison, we have 3 trains per day that take 4hrs (or more) to run less than 300km between Sydney and Canberra (30 minutes slower than a bus between the very same destinations).
All of the main lines out of Sydney are very windy, given the topography and the time they were built. In addition, the north coast line all the way to Brisbane is also extremely windy, and significant sections on the current main line to Melbourne are similarly windy. Therefore there will be an ongoing role for fast diesel tilt trains to provide long-distance services off the main high speed line.
Electrification and hybrid trains
Traffic volumes on the long routes in Australia currently can’t support electrification. Electrification of the new sections of high speed lines out of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane may make sense . These sections will have significant commuter traffic where 25 KVAC will be required to reach high speeds. But full electrification all the way from Melbourne to Brisbane is a long way off.
With that in mind we need hybrid-powered trains of some sort both in the short term and long term. Various manufacturers are looking at battery and hydrogen powered alternatives to diesel. Hybrid trains using both battery and electric-power seem the most likely solution for shorter range services (perhaps 200km or more).
However the jury is out for longer distances. Hybrid trains using hydrogen fuel cells and electric-power would seem to be the best solution for Australian conditions. But Australia must take a more proactive approach to develop the technology and supporting infrastructure to make this a viable option. Until then, we will remain a laggard in de-carbonising our rail transport networks.
High speed services
Eventually our capital cities will be connected by fully-electrified high speed rail. Sydney-Canberra will probably be first, although even this is unlikely to occur for at least 15 years. Only then will we be able to use the very fast trains (>250km/h) that are only able to operate on fully-electrified high speed tracks. But if demand picks up strongly then we may need double-deck trains for budget services such as those offered in Spain, Italy and France.
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