British Rail Class 799

British Rail Class 799
HydroFLEX
The prototype unit, number 799001
Manufacturer
Family nameBR Second Generation (Mark 3)
Constructed2019, 2021
Number built2
Number scrapped1
Formation4 cars per unit
Fleet numbers799001, 799201[1]
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length
  • Outer vehicles:
    19.830 m (65 ft 0.7 in)
  • Intermediate vehicles:
    19.920 m (65 ft 4.3 in)[2]
Width2.816 m (9 ft 2.9 in)
Height3.774 m (12 ft 4.6 in)
WheelbaseOver bogie centres: 14.17 m (46 ft 6 in)
Prime mover(s)Ballard FCveloCity
Engine typeHydrogen fuel cell
HVACElectric heating
Electric system(s)
Current collector(s)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemTightlock
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 799 HydroFLEX is a prototype class of bi-mode[3] multiple unit adapted from Class 319 electric multiple units (319001/382). The existing 25 kV AC and 750 V DC equipment has been retained with a hydrogen fuel cell added, currently taking up one of the carriages.

History

The Class 319 units were built by BREL between 1987 and 1990 for Network SouthEast, as dual-voltage units to run on Thameslink services. In late 2014, Govia Thameslink Railway began returning its allocation of Class 319 units to Porterbrook (the owner of the units) as they were gradually replaced by Class 387 units and then ultimately Class 700 units on Thameslink services.

In September 2018, Porterbrook announced it would develop a hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator in partnership with the University of Birmingham's Centre for Railway Research and Education. In December 2018, Porterbrook procured an FCveloCity fuel cell unit from Ballard Power Systems.[4]

The first unit was converted from a Class 319 unit that had last been used by Govia Thameslink Railway.[5][3][6] It was unveiled on 20 June 2019.[7][8][9] In June 2019, it was announced that approval for mainline testing of the unit (branded as HydroFLEX) had been granted after a period of demonstration at Rail Live 2019.[10]

The first mainline testing occurred in September 2020, reaching 50 mph (80 km/h) through Warwickshire. The next phase of the development of this prototype is move the hydrogen tanks and fuel cell from one of the carriages and suspend them beneath the train.[11]

A second unit was presented at the COP26 Summit at Glasgow with one of the DT car's passenger doors removed and permanently sealed. The TSOL has also been reconfigured with a boardroom-styled interior specially for the summit.[12]

Fleet details

Subclass Quantity converted Year converted Cars per unit Unit numbers Converted from[13] Notes
799/0 1 2019 4 799001 319001 Scrapped.[14]
799/2 1 2021 799201 319382 Unveiled at COP26 in Glasgow.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Class 319 fleet in focus". Rail Express. No. 321. February 2023. p. 29.
  2. ^ Class 319 Electric Multiple Unit (PDF) (1A ed.). Derby: Porterbrook. August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b Dobell, Malcolm (28 September 2018). "Hydroflex – the next iteration of the Flex concept". Rail Engineer. Coalville: Rail Media Group. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022. ... BCRRE said that the demonstrator version focuses on delivering an electric/hydrogen bi-mode to UK gauge ...
  4. ^ "Ballard Receives Order From Porterbrook For Fuel Cell Module to Power U.K. HydroFLEX Train". Vancouver: Ballard Power Systems. 12 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  5. ^ "UK hydrogen train demonstrator to be tested in 2019". Railway Gazette International. Sutton: DVV Media International. 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. ^ "2019 Launches". Rail Live. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ^ "See UK's first hydrogen train". Rail Live. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  8. ^ Burridge, Tom (reporter) (20 June 2019). Hydrogen trains: Are these the eco-friendly trains of the future? (Video production). BBC News. Long Marston: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  9. ^ Clinnick, Richard (20 June 2019). "Main line testing of UK's first hydrogen train gets green light". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Mainline Testing of UK's First Hydrogen Train Gets Green Light". Edgbaston: University of Birmingham. 20 June 2019. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  11. ^ Hydrogen-powered train makes UK maiden journey (Video production). BBC News. Evesham: British Broadcasting Corporation. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  12. ^ Dalton, Alastair (5 November 2021). "COP26: Revolutionary hydrogen train's Glasgow trip for rail chiefs will be powered by...electricity". The Scotsman. Edinburgh: National World Publishing. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  13. ^ "HydroFlex bound for COP conference". Modern Railways. Stamford: Key Publishing. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Prototype Hydrogen unit scrapped". Today's Railways UK. No. 255. May 2023. p. 61.

Further reading