Locomotive on-board electric retrofit: Using the UBCO STS lab's unique locomotive electric power management research expertise to solve Southern Railway of BC (SRY) design problem.

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UBCO Sustainable Transport Safety (STS) researchers have been approached by Southern Railway of BritishColumbia Limited (SRY) to solve a very specific and technically challenging design problem. The reduced airquality and high levels of noise & vibrations produced by SRY`s current fleet of 24 diesel-electric locomotivescreate financial and PR burdens on SRY due to Metro Vancouver's Non-Road Diesel Emissions registrationfees for each locomotive not meeting US EPA Tier 2 levels for PM (up to $35,000/year per locomotive). It isalso an improvement of the company`s public image to opt for clean and quiet locomotive propulsion systems.UBCO STS researchers are unique in Canada to research and design an on-board all-electric propulsion systemretrofit for SRYs diesel-electric locomotives. Applying UBCO rail electrification expertise to research and testfeasibility of retrofits that eliminate burning hydrocarbons is the main goal of this NSERC Engage application.If successful in solving SRY's design problem, it would be a precursor to a full-scale prototype project in 2018.Moreover, this NSERC Engage would produce design specifications, logistic requirements, feasibility results,and cost estimates towards applying UBCO's theoretical research/design solution in an on-the-ground SRYprototype demonstration project. Electrifying SRY's fleet by traditional methods (e.g. overhead wires or thirdrail like Skytrain) is too expensive, time consuming, unsightly and impractical for retrofits. UBCO STSresearch in on-board battery and fuel cell hybrid technology have demonstrated that a much lower-cost retrofitsolution is possible when integrated with UBCO STS's power management system technology. This technologyis unique in Canada. SRY has both the mechanical systems engineering experience and garage operationscapacity to conduct such a locomotive retrofit. But SRY needs UBCO STS expertise and technology to solveits design problem. This is a logical next step for UBCO STS research. It would also meet SRY diesellocomotive needs in their quest to reduce emissions, noise, and costs, and, to address local communitycomplaints.