Improvments in driver style management can bring the biggest single energy savings for rail, according to experts from Bombardier.
The total energy consumption for a train without energy storage is 5.3mwh, according to officials from Bombardier. 34% of this energy or a total of 1.8mwh could be saved through modifying driver management style alone.
Speaking at the Growth & the Capacity Challenge conference in London on 10 March, Bombardier director for strategic programmes Jon Seddon said the energy saved by improving a driver's performance over one day could power an average house for 24 hours.
"Providing drivers with better training and also providing them with better onboard information could reduce the variability of driver performance by up to 80% and provide very real energy savings benefits," Seddon said.
Tests conducted using different drivers operating the same train over the same route and on the same timetable showed huge variances in energy used.
On one run 80% more energy was used than on another, even though the journey time was the same.
According to Bombardier, the best method to improve driver performance is to provide real-time information using onboard displays as well as to provide off-board processing using data collection.
Offline analysis could compare journeys and give an optimal or 'golden' run, which could be used as a benchmark to aim for and even as part of a driver incentive package.
Seddon said while many sensors and data gathering devices could be installed, significant energy savings would ultimately come down to individual driver ability.
"We believe that we can improve this integral part of the system by introducing better training techniques, which will also then result in overall improvements such as greater punctuality," he explained.
By Daniel Garrun.
