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> Diesel engines can be a useful backup for when wires break In reality, this doesn't happen -- the capital cost of idle diesel locomotives would negate (and m
by Symbiote 6y ago
> Diesel engines can be a useful backup for when wires break
In reality, this doesn't happen -- the capital cost of idle diesel locomotives would negate (and more) the money saved with the electric trains.
If catenary is damaged in Europe (usually by storms), rail services are suspended until it's repaired. Repair is a very high priority.
(For one thing, it's unlikely to be safe to repair the catenary if trains are still running.)
- bluGill 6y agoVery good point. A diesel backup implies you can borrow it from some freight service, or have one in your tourist attraction fleet, and the problem isn't your wires but the wires feeding you.
- Symbiote 6y agoTrains not having traction and signal power in Europe is incredibly rare. The railway is essentially its own grid due to the size, so can route power around many local problems. It's obviously one of the last things to be disconnected if there's brownouts. https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/publications/acop/238-contingencyplanningforpoweroutages/file.html https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/publications/acop... §6.1.4 says the UK rail network "never" lost power supply up to 2017, but... Two years ago, a 45 minute cut to railway power in South East England led to a £10 million fine to the power companies: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/03/three-energy-firms-to-pay-for-failings-over-august-blackout https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/03/three-energ... The PDF also points out that a diesel backup is generally useless, since the line is blocked by the stuck electric trains.
- fomine3 6y agoTokyo Metro operates trains with battery backup since 2016. https://www.toshiba.co.jp/infrastructure/en/topics/back-number/20160614.htm https://www.toshiba.co.jp/infrastructure/en/topics/back-numb...