THE SEVERN VALLEY Railway has unveiled the UK’s first hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive in a major milestone in railway decarbonisation, writes Neil Gordon.
In an event held at Kidderminster Town station, in association with Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions, the new HydroShunter was unveiled to invited guests before it hauled a train along the heritage line in a UK first.
Picture by Keith Wilkinson for the SVR. s
Developed in the SVR’s workshops from the body of a disused Class 08 diesel locomotive, the HydroShunter represents a pioneering retrofit solution, designed to help decarbonise rail operations without the need for significant upfront capital investment in entirely new rolling stock.
The project to design and build the locomotive was achieved through a ground-breaking collaboration between the Severn Valley Railway and West Midlands-based Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions – a global leader in hydrogen traction technology, which originated from the University of Birmingham.
Picture by Keith Wilkinson for the SVR. s
Severn Valley Railway managing director, Gus Dunster, said: “Working on this project places the Severn Valley Railway firmly at the forefront of innovation within the heritage sector.
“We are proud to have helped develop a shunting solution that is emissions-free at the point of use and we are looking forward to seeing it in regular use at the railway.
Picture by Keith Wilkinson for the SVR. s
Dr Alexander Burrows, CEO of Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions, added: “This is an exciting day for the Vanguard team.
“There is already a lot of interest from potential customers who want to benefit from zero emissions, reduced noise, and improved operating costs in a retrofit solution.
“We have made this investment in innovation to drive transport decarbonisation and enable railway locomotives to move to zero emissions without the need for significant upfront capital investment.”
Mr Dunster said: “I am immensely proud of our team. We may be a heritage organisation, but this project shows our vision is firmly fixed on the future.”
