Track machines from Plasser & Theurer on biofuel

A new direction in the railway transport industry: now all new track machines from Plasser & Theurer can operate on biofuel, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The Austrian company announced that its equipment is compatible with hydrogenated vegetable oil HVO100.

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This biofuel, produced in accordance with the European standard EN 15940, is derived from renewable sources, making it nearly climate-neutral and allowing for a reduction of CO2 emissions by 70-90% compared to conventional diesel fuel.

This step also reduces emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.

Plasser & Theurer view biofuel as an interim solution, especially in cases where the use of hybrid machines from the E3 family is not optimal.

They claim that HVO100 is safe for engines and does not require changes in operation or additional staff training.

This is confirmed by the operational experience of the track machine GAF 746, running on HVO100, in collaboration with the German infrastructure operator DB Netze (since December 2023 – DB InfraGo).

This move towards more environmentally friendly fuel will help reduce harmful emissions and make railway transport more resilient to climate change.

Photo: Lothar Stöckmann/Bahnbilder

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