Railway research at UBC is headed by Dr. Lovegrove and the SMARTer Growth Research Lab. They aim to study, analyze, design, simulate and develop solutions for clean rail technology that primarily rely on electrical energy. Hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors (ultracapacitors) are studied as alternatives to diesel-electric propulsion for freight trains. Discontinuous electrification, as opposed to full electrification, is also studied, its advantages and disadvantages, potential savings in energy and emissions too.
Our focus is on Hydrail (Hydrogen fuel-cell / battery hybrid rail power) as a solution to convert all North American regional passenger and freight rail from diesel to zero-emission electric rail systems, at a fraction of the cost of conventional electric rail, to address our climate change challenges, connecting communities, and increase ease of public transport. Hydrail technology stores hydrogen (H2) and converts it to electricity by fuel cells to fully power trains. Hydrogen fuel is a leading renewable fuel as it is the most abundant element in the universe, has the highest energy per mass of any fuel and can be collected in many different sustainable and non-invasive ways. For these reasons, Hydrail is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to expanding current road networks.
Having completed the first hydrogen-powered rail speeder prototype in Canada, Hydrail 1, The SMARTer Growth Research Team is continuing their work on two major projects for greener solutions to North America freight and passenger rail transportation: Okanagan Valley Electric Regional Passenger Rail (OVER PR) and the Hydrogen Goat.
Check out the following videos and see below for more details on our sustainable rail project:
Hydrail 1
Dr. Lovegrove, project lead Mohamed A. Hegazi and the SMARTer Growth Research Team have developed a prototype Hydrogen-powered rail speeder called the Hydrail 1 as the first prototype in Canada.
Project Details
Principal Investigator: Dr. Gordon Lovegrove
Project Lead: Mohamed A. Hegazi
Industry Partners:
Project Status: Completed 2021
Okanagan Valley Electric Regional Passenger Rail (OVER PR)
OVER PR is the gateway technology for regional and national clean rail aiming to connect communities and increase the ease of public transport at a low material cost. The SMARTer Growth team is developing the technology for the Okanagan, with the help of regional partners, international pioneers, and in conjunction with the Penticton Indian Band. Their vision is to create a hydrogen-fueled electric railway running the length of the Okanagan, from Osoyoos, through Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, and up to Kamloops. Hydrail will minimize the effects of rail transport on climate change, whilst improving overall mobility and quality of life in the communities across the Okanagan.
The results of Dr. Lovegrove’s research show an economically feasible OVER PR by 2039. His findings recommend that all future transportation planning along Hwy 97 between the US border and Kamloops, inter-urban corridors in the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island Malahat corridor and national inter-urban corridors, take a multi-modal approach that includes zero-emission electric regional passenger rail Hydrail technology.
The 20 Year Vision of OVER PR
- Connecting our Okanagan Valley people to each other: our jobs, our housing, our visitors, our natural beauty
- Discussion with all stakeholders needs to start now
- All future planning must allow for OVER PR – local (stations), regional, provincial (MoTI) and federal (airport)
- Implemented in staged demonstration projects.
Project Details
Principal Investigator: Dr. Gordon Lovegrove
Regional Partners:
Hydrogen Goat
Based on the technology designed for Hydrail 1, the SMARTer Growth team with several industry partners, including LOOP Energy, Hydrogen In Motion, and Southern Railway of BC, are now focused on retrofitting a diesel freight locomotive to operate on hydrogen fuel cell power – transforming a Green Goat into the Hydrogen Goat. The goal of this operation is to develop a cost effective retrofit package that will allow over 20,000 North American diesel engine locomotives to run on clean, renewable hydrail technology.
Project Details
Principal Investigator: Dr. Gordon Lovegrove
Project Lead: Mohamed A. Hegazi
Industry Partners:
Project Status: Modelling is complete and we are now working on the retrofit.
SMARTer Growth Publications on rail technology
- Hegazi, M. A., Hoffrichter, A., Andrews, J. L., & Lovegrove, G. (2021). The development of a representative multidimensional transient duty cycle for in-service switcher locomotives. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544097211041874
- Hegazi, M. A., Markley, L., & Lovegrove, G. (2021). Examining the influence of battery sizing on hydrogen fuel cell – battery hybrid rail powertrains (Hydrail) for regional passenger railway transport using dynamic component models. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 48(5), 512–521. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2019-0464
Other Resources
- The Government of Canada, The National Research Council (Aug 15, 2022). Towards a net zero emission railway system with hydrogen powered trains.
- Hydrail Technology explained for the hearing impaired
- Hydrail-related news: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200227-how-hydrogen-powered-trains-can-tackle-climate-change
- 16th Annual IHC – 2021 International Hydrail Conference
- 15th Annual IHC – 2020 webinar
- Cordia iLint hydrogen train receives approval for commercial operation in German railway networks. (2018)
- CBC Report – Hauling freight trains with electric locomotives is now starting to happen
- Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium Report
- Railway Age- Southern Railway of BC Going ‘Green’ With Switcher Retrofit
- BC Chamber of Commerce – Hydrogen & Hydrail (PDF)
- Okanagan Valley Electric Regional Passenger Rail (OVER) – Strategy to Build a Valley-wide team towards action (PDF)
- 2013 Hydrail Conference – First Speaker Darryl Wilson, CEO at Hydrogenics Corp.