Public Funding for Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited

We have previously developed an exhaust aftertreatment system to install on Porterbrook's Class 170 and Class 158/9 vehicles. This technology successfully showed we could significantly reduce the emissions from mid-life diesel trains. All aftertreatment systems, including those fitted to new diesel engines, work effectively at higher exhaust temperatures but when the train is idling in a station, the aftertreatment is much less effective. This innovation is to develop a new exhaust gas heating solution with geo-fencing capability to dramatically improve the effectiveness of the exhaust aftertreatment system in covered stations. The innovation is a development of an electrically heated catalyst which has been used in road applications but is entirely new to rail and could unlock the in-station benefits of aftertreatment systems on diesel trains. This will specifically target NOx and complement PM reduction in stations caused by trains idling and provide a viable retrofit option until full electrification is available. The innovation will be led by rolling stock asset owner Porterbrook with their partner Eminox who has supplied rail exhaust solutions to diesel engines for several decades. In Phase 1, the project will carry out work to prove the technology on a bench test at Eminox's test facility. Later in Phase 2, if we are successful, working with our operating partner East Midlands Railway, we propose to demonstrate the additional benefit in emissions reductions in stations by fitting the equipment onto a suitable DMU, and validating the test results in passenger service. This new innovation enhances the business case for fleet roll out of this technology by offering additional benefits where it matters to passengers, staff and neighbours at railway stations. Both Porterbrook and Eminox are delighted to continue the development of their after-treatment system to specifically target emissions in stations, this will take abatement solutions to the next level and provide greener railways. Neil Bamford, Fleet Director at East Midlands Trains said, "The project aligns well to our sustainability objectives, as it offers the opportunity to provide tangible benefits for emissions reduction in stations. We look forward to working with the consortium"

Our innovation project is called LoCe: Less oil, Cleaner exhaust. We aim to transfer novel retrofit technology onto one of Porterbrook's Class 170 Turbostar vehicles, enabling mid-life diesel engines to rapidly become more Environmentally Sustainable (addressing Theme 1 of the InnovateUK First-of-a-Kind competition). We will work with Eminox, Bosch Rexroth and DG8: established Porterbrook collaborators who have track records in delivering innovations to the UK railway industry. A key technical project challenge is the limited space on Turbostar vehicles for retrofitment: which we will resolve by creating an innovative 2-box Exhaust After-Treatment System, and introducing a novel low-volume hydrostatic reservoir. Once the 2-box system is developed and successfully bench-tested, we plan to de-risk these innovations during a demonstrator phase on East Midlands Railway (EMR). Gareth Race, EMR Fleet Director (interim) said, "As part of our environmental policy, we're keen to enhance and build on our sustainable railway credentials, with a commitment to work with the supply chain to share best practice and continually improve our environmental and energy performance. Porterbrook are a trusted partner with whom we work collaboratively to deliver improvements across our fleets. EMR offer our support to Porterbrook in this innovative project… as it offers the opportunity to provide tangible benefits for both emissions and waste." We then envisage progressing to commercial roll-out beyond the 9-month FoaK demonstrator project, potentially making a significant environmental difference e.g. improving air quality by lowering emissions (by 75-90+%) and reducing waste oil (by 84%) across all 464 Turbostar vehicles.

Porterbrook has a reputation for innovation in support of asset management and is actively looking to improve the environmental performance of their rolling stock. Porterbrook will collaborate with Eminox, a world-leader in exahust and after-treatment technology, based in the UK, to deliver the GR-EATS project. GR-EATS seeks to transfer Eminox's proven on-road after-treatment system, widely fitted to heavy duty vehicles, including buses, to a railway operating environment for the first time. Our first-of-a-kind collaboration will integrate advanced emissions technology onto an existing Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train and operate it in normal passenger service. We will prove fitout, rail standards conformance; quantify durability and emissions performance; and ascertain ongoing maintenance requirements. State of the art telemetry will be fitted as standard to provide real-time onboard diagnostics and abatement performance data from the system. Rail-specific challenges, such as high exhaust temperature duty cycles, will be overcome as part of the project, utilising advanced catalyst technology in the first on-rail application. By partnering with First Group, through Porterbrook's customer South Western Railway, we will modify a Class 158 DMU and gain valuable feedback on the innovation from the train's drivers, depot maintenance staff and other stakeholders. "South Western Railway is committed to supporting international agreements on climate change and fully support working with the owners of the rolling stock we lease in the development and adoption of technologies, fuels and controls to reduce greenhouse emissions associated with our fleets. We are keen to support Porterbrook and Eminox's proposal to trial a retrofit aftertreatment onto the UK railways, targeting the Class 158 fleet which we lease. This will enable us to provide feedback, as a potential customer, on the fitment, ongoing operations and performance of the system." GR-EATS will enable the technical and commercial viability of after-treatment for rail vehicles to be established, so it can be offered for widespread fitment to 'second generation' DMUs across the UK, and potentially overseas, thus signicantly reducing emissions from industry rolling stock.