What will replace diesel trains?

The decision not to procure new diesel trains had already been made in 2020. As soon as trains have reached the end of their economic life, they are now to be replaced with battery trains. Trains that are theoretically still operational are to be used on non-electrified lines during the transition.



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Hydrogen trains. The advantages of hydrogen trains include zero CO2 emissions, virtually no noise, and higher efficiency than diesel. Hydrogen, however, is produced using non-renewable energy sources, so the carbon neutrality of such solutions is questionable.

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But the end is in sight, as the government has declared that sales of petrol and diesel cars will end in 2035. Some car industry observers think this is ambitious, but either way, in a few years years, there won't be many diesel cars on sale. They will survive beyond that, but by 2050 they could well be a rarity.

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Every battery locomotive that replaces a diesel will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3,000 tons per year, Wabtec estimates. But it is unlikely they can quickly replace diesel-powered trains.

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Diesel locomotive engines are classified as diesel-mechanical (DM), diesel-electric (DE) and diesel-hydraulic (DH) engines. DM engines run at an average speed of 60 kmph, while DE engines travel at an average speed of 80 kmph, also the average speed of an electric engine.

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If we take an overall view of the transport sector, 71% of transportation related carbon emissions come from road users, whereas only 1.8% of emissions stem from rail travel. So in absolute terms, trains are responsible for a lot less emissions than cars.

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The life expectancy of diesel-electric and electric locomotives is expected to be similar—about 25 years. Both types of motive power are subject to technological obsolescence.

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A train engine requires about a hundred litres of fuel to get it started. So it wouldn't be economical if the engine is stopped and started frequently. This apart, if the engine is stopped, the moving parts' lubrication will also come to a halt.

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Diesel engines in passenger cars will not fade away until 2040. The IC engines will also phase out only after 2040, Elmar Degenhart said adding that it will be difficult to imagine commercial vehicles without diesel engines.

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