Page 35 - Innovation in energy management: contribution of railways to sustainable mobility

VIII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Railways must continue aim for improvement in the field of sustainable and intelligent
energy management. Since 2016, the year in which this position paper was first published,
there has been progress in some of the challenges and recommendations identified at that
time.

Although electrification is already a reality in the railway sector, services that use diesel,
and for which electrification may not be the best technical solution, still have to be
optimised.

The organisations and companies that have drafted this document have identified the
following general recommendations:

1. The energy factor should be included in the design of railway routes.

2. The continued promotion of electrical energy metering and billing systems on board
rolling stock.

3. The continued promotion of the development of the railway electrical networks of the
future (intelligent networks).

4. The continued promotion of the development of new storage technologies alongside a
relative reduction in cost.

5. The promotion of regenerated electrical energy in braking processes for uses other than
traction, considering it as an additional source of energy.

6. The development of technological projects in the field of superconductivity applied to
railways.

7. The development of ATO projects on ERTMS:

a. It is necessary to deepen the development of on-board driving algorithms and
ground traffic regulation models, to improve the efficiency in the operation of the
ATO system over ERTMS.

b. In ground ATO systems, it is necessary to develop algorithms for the design of
schedules, both in planning and in real time, to improve efficiency. These schedules
have an impact on the power peaks measured in substations, on the use of
regenerated energy and on the margins available for economical driving. Therefore,
it is necessary to coordinate the operation of traffic with the control of smart
networks and thus optimise the use of energy in the railway network, which can
incorporate interactions with other points of consumption such as power stations
and electric vehicles.

8. The continued promotion of the development of new traction based on hydrogen and
biofuels.

9. The promotion of joint initiatives and think tanks for the use of hydrogen in the railway,
involving the entire supply chain.

10. A stronger regulatory framework in the following areas:
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Position paper: Innovation in energy management: contribution of railways to sustainable mobility
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