BIKE: Commuter Rail NOx Pollution

[Michael T. DiBrino]

Let me say that I support the goals of the commuter rail plan (I voted for light rail in 2000 and now support an environmentally friendly, electric, fully grade-separated system), but not this particular implementation. 
 
In particular, I have questions about NOx emissions from the diesel locomotive. The information that I cite comes from the best publicly available information plus data from the EPA itself. Based on this publicly available information, I call upon environmental groups such as the Sierra Club to do their homework, determine the facts and prove me wrong. I call upon Capital Metro for full disclosure of the NOx emissions of their proposed commuter rail diesel unit.
 
Here are the facts as I understand them:

-Cap Metro is planning to use the Stadler Diesel locomotive that is currently used on the Trenton-Camden Line or something extremely similar.

-These locomotives do NOT meet EPA Tier 3 diesel pollution
requirements.

-Even if the locomotives DO meet EPA Tier 3 diesel pollution
standards which they do NOT, Austin would have to remove the
equivalent of over 18,000 Toyota Camry's from the road each day for one hour each. If the locomotives do NOT meet Tier 3 pollution requirements, these figures are likely to be much higher, possibly as high as 59,000 Camry's (but I only will commit to the 18,000 Camry figure).

-I believe that Cap Metro knows about this pollution and has backed off their claim of using these locomotives, but Ben Wear's column on Oct. 3 says that Cap Metro has 'zeroed in' on this type of locomotive (see 'Supporting Facts' below).
 
-Although Cap Metro or the Right Track PAC may claim that these
diesel locomotives are 'hybrids', any comparison to a hybrid Toyota Prius is ridiculous. These are not hybrid Locomotives. Hybrid means that it has two distinct supplys of power, the less
environmentally freindly one can be shut down under certain
operating conditions. The hybrid Toyota Prius can operate on
batteries when the engine is off. The Diesel Electric locomotive
does not have batteries, fuel cells or any secondary means of
power. The diesel must run at all times!! A diesel engine powers a generator which in turn powers an electric motor.

------------------------------------------------

Supporting Facts:

Ben Wear's October 3rd article, "Capital Metro railcars would have light touch". The article is quoted as saying:

"Whatever the phraseology, Capital Metro officials have zeroed in on the type of hardware they would put on the tracks if voters give them the OK for the $60 million-plus project. Their choice for railcars, or "train sets" in the jargon of the industry, would be so-called diesel multiple units."
 
"The agency says that these self-propelled trains are the best fit for the line, given the relatively modest ridership predictions in the early years and the proximity of homes to the tracks in some spots, along with cost and other operational considerations."
 
"Capital Metro officials and Blaydes, among others, say diesel multiple units have been used for years on Europe's extensive rail network. But in North America, only a handful of transit agencies have diesel multiple units on the track or on order."



"New Jersey Transit's seven-month-old River Line makes the 34-mile run from Camden to Trenton with the vehicles, carrying about 5,600 passengers each weekday on what the agency calls a light-rail line. The five-mile O-train in Ottawa, Ontario, a starter line for what is expected to be a citywide light-rail system, likewise uses the cars"

In the October 3rd, print edition, there is even a picture of one of the Stadler vehicles.

Cap Metro is now contradicting itself. In an article By Courtney
Cavaliere in the "Daily Texan" the following was written.

"Scherer said. He also claimed Capital Metro had decided to use a diesel engine to run the commuter rail, but Capital Metro said they won't make a decision on what engine to use until after Nov. 2."

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/10/13/StateLocal/AntiRail.G
roup.Tracks.Down.Votes.To.Oppose.Nov.2.Referendum-751542.shtml

I claim that Cap Metro is now steering clear of the Environmental issues by sweeping this under the rug until the vote.

The Stadler "New Jersey" is being discontinued because of its poor environmental reputation. 

The New Jersey line uses the Stadler DMU.
http://www.stadlerrail.com/default.asp?n=94&ms=6&h=1&id=75&s=2

The following charts have been copied directly from the EPA site:
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-AIR/2003/May/Day-23/a9737a.htm

Figure III.B-2--Proposed NOX and NMHC
Standards and Schedule
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------

Standard (g/bhp-hr)
Engine Power ------
-------------------------------------------

NOX NMHC
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
25 <= hp < 75 (19 <= kW <
56)................................. 3.5 NMHC+NOX
\a\
75 <= hp < 175 (56 <= kW <
130).......................0.30 0.14
175 <= hp <= 750 (130 <= kW <=
560)..............0.30 0.14
hp £ 750 (kW £ 560).......................
0.30 0.14
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------

The Stadler GTW 2/6 DMU Locomotive is 550 kW. Below is directly
copied from www.stadlerrail.com

Southern New Jersey Light Rail, (SNJLR), USA

New Jersey Transit decided to establish a regional passenger traffic operation on the Trenton - Camden route, which had been used exclusively as a freight route. The line is 57 km long - mostly on track laid for the third-oldest railway line in North America. To cover its needs on this route, the customer ordered 20 GTW 2/6 DMUs. These are completely assembled in Europe.

Customer New Jersey Transit
Route Trenton - Camden
Vehicle type Articulated railcar GTW
Designation Southern New Jersey Light Rail Transit
Service start 2002/2003
No. of vehicles 20
Supply voltage Diesel, 550 kW
Gauge Standard gauge, 1435 mm

550 kW can be converted to 737.6 bhp. The Stadler Engine can
produce .3 g/hr/bhp NOx and meet the Tier 3 epa requirements. Tier 3 reduces NOx levels from Tier 1 Diesels by 90%. The Stadler Diesels are the most pollutant at either Tier 0 or Tier 1.

Energy + Temperature:
Horse power (hp) ---> Kilowatts (kW): hp x 0.7457 = kW
Kilowatts (kW) ---> Horse power (hp): kW x 1.341 = hp

.3 g/hr/bhp NOx multiplied by 737bhp = 221 g/hr of NOx.

By comparison a 2003 Toyota Camry produces .14 g/hr.

221 / .14 = 1578

Each of these Diesel locomotives will be allowed to produce 1578
times more NOx than a Toyota Camry.

6 Locomotives running an two hours per day = 12 hours run time

12 hours of Stadler run time X 1578 = 18,936 One hour Camry
Commutes per day.

These figures are if the Stadler burns Low Sulfer Fuel, has a
Catalytic converter, has a exhaust recirculator and is Tier 3 EPA compliant. Since it is / has none of those, the actual figures would be much worse. Should Austin contribute the equivalent NOx of 18,936 automobiles daily just to remove 17,000
(8,500 round trip) riders in the year 2025 or 1700 riders today.

The Following link shows how the EPA defines a "Hybrid" as having 2 distinct power supplies:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/ngm/420d04002.pdf



		
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