UK-based company BioUltra and Ultra-light Rail partners are planning to bring trains that run on biomethane-fueled alternatives. The firm also has plans to develop railcars that can carry as many as 120 people at once.
For those of us living in and around the national capital of New Delhi, severe pollution has become an annual problem for us. Every year, it engulfs the large swathes of northern India and the NCR region while making it almost impossible to breathe openly in the air. While political mud-slinging continues amongst the political parties, very little is being done to tackle this problem through a sustainable and research-based approach.
Unfortunately, pollution is not just a Delhi-centric problem but is spanning across larger swathes of the country with deteriorating air quality. Even there are several reports which claim that as compared to northern India, eastern and southern India did witness severe pollution levels. So, if you might also suffer from constant cough and cold, breathlessness, or irritation in the throat and eyes then it’s highly possible that you might also be living in a highly polluted region.
Railcars based on human-waste fuel
On a global level, vehicles-based pollution has wreaked havoc causing devastation of infrastructure and loss of millions of lives every year. With rapid evolution in technology many countries are now vouching for electric vehicles and trains for personal and public transportation. Following that, British researchers are now trying to make trains that can run on human and animal waste.
UK-based company BioUltra in partnership with Ultra-light Rail partners are further planning to replace city trams and bring trains that run on biomethane-fueled alternatives. The firm has plans to develop railcars that can carry as many as 120 people at once while running on biomethane fueled engines. Along with that those railcars would come fitted with ultraviolet lights and heavily-filtered airflow pertaining to COVID-19 precautions.
The company has also affirmed in a statement that they did try a prototype of such railcars in July last year. Moreover, these railcars will provide travel which would be affordable, lightweight, comfortable, modern as well as reliable alternative against travelling by cars which run on fossil fuels.
The concept of biomethane fuel
Biomethane fuel, as the name suggests, is derived or produced from several waste products including animal manure, food waste, farm leftover, crop residue, human and animal waste. This type of waste is broken down by the bacteria to produce gas which is known as cleaner biomethane fuel. Although these biomethane fuels also release some amount of carbon-dioxide, also utilising them as an alternative can alleviate the need for burning fossil fuels for the production of fuel.
Furthermore, these trains will run on branch lines re-opened by the government in the UK. With regard to this project, the UK government has already allocated 60,000 euros to the company as the government plans to gradually phase-out diesel trains by 2040. Proponents of these railcars have also said that there will be no pollution from tyres or trash generated thereafter. Hence, these trains running on human waste will become one of the cleanest modes of transportation in the coming times.