Press release
Thursday September 21 2006 – Third Joint Press Release from
PARRY TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENTS MATCH NETWORK RAIL ASPIRATION FOR LIGHTER TRAINS
Proven Parry People Movers technology could hold key to making rail services more attractive while reducing energy, pollution and subsidies
Network Rail's deputy chief executive identifies need for new approach
Mr Iain Coucher, the deputy chief executive of Britain's national railway infrastructure operator Network Rail, has voiced his organisation's support for the use of a new generation of lighter, faster trains on community railways to reduce the damage done to tracks. His comments, to a meeting attended by ministers and industry leaders and reported in the Financial Times on September 19 2006, echo the continuing successful experimental operation on a short Network Rail branch line of a lightweight, gas-fuelled Parry People Movers railcar that uses far less energy than conventional trains.
"If you use old, heavy trains for rural routes, it smashes the routes to bits," said Mr Coucher. "Let's find a train that meets [passengers'] needs and meets our needs of having nil impact on the infrastructure." Network Rail's intention to look at lighter rolling stock was made clear in its Initial Strategic Business Plan for Control Period 4 (from 2009 to 2014), published in June. The aim is to make railways more attractive to passengers at the same time as improving environmental performance and reducing operating costs and the need for subsidies.
This concept has been developed by Midlands-based Parry People Movers Ltd, in the form of lightweight railcars which also feature a flywheel to store kinetic energy. This "Kinergetic" technology enables them to recapture energy that would normally be wasted during braking, and to use much smaller engines than diesel trains. As a result, PPM railcars emit far less noise, pollution and carbon dioxide than other modes of transport, while giving the ambience of a modern tram or light rail vehicle. The stored energy also gives better acceleration than other rolling stock, and the low weight construction ensures that track damage is minimised.
A PPM railcar which can accommodate up to 50 passengers has been in regular service on Sundays on the short Stourbridge branch in the West Midlands since December, where it has operated more than 3,000 public trips with over 98% reliability and just 0.7% of services running late. The service integrates with main line trains at Stourbridge Junction, providing a seamless rail journey between Stourbridge Town station and central Birmingham or other stations. This could be replicated around Britain, providing better connections to the rail network.
John Parry, chairman of PPM, said: "Lighter trains with 'regenerative' brakes are a clear way to cut pollution and carbon emissions. They also damage the track far less, so it stays in good condition. Plus, they release 'heavy' trains for use on busy parts of the main line network where more capacity is needed. If you can couple all that with the attractiveness of modern tram systems - which we know people will get out of their cars to travel on - you have a winning combination. Clean, green and welcoming to passengers."
With the experience gained from operations at Stourbridge and elsewhere, JPM Parry & Associates - project managers of the Parry People Movers venture - are offering their technical services to transport interest groups and authorities who want to introduce quality public transport using the new technology. Further details including case studies of transport work undertaken by the company are given at www.parryassociates.com/transport
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Parry People Movers Ltd information
COMPANY: Parry People Movers Ltd (PPM) was founded in 1992 to develop rail transport based on a new innovation: the "Kinergetic" flywheel energy store, which allows vehicles to run extremely efficiently and to recapture their braking energy for reuse when accelerating. The company is owned by approximately 200 shareholders and is quoted on the OFEX market.
ADVANTAGES: PPM rail vehicles offer the quality of modern light rail transport without the need for electrical power supply, giving excellent environmental performance and energy efficiency at lower cost than conventional technology. The same technology can be used on railways or urban tramways. PPM vehicles are fully compliant with accessibility regulations.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Twelve PPM vehicles have been built, ranging in capacity from 2 to 50 passengers. Between them they have carried over 100,000 passengers. Previous PPM vehicles have operated in Bristol, Brighton, Barking, Swansea, Birmingham, Oswestry and elsewhere. PPM 50 Light Railcar No. 999 900 has run on the Chasewater Railway, the Great Central Railway, the Severn Valley Railway and the Wensleydale Railway since it was built in 2001. The railcar is now in passenger service between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town stations on Sundays, run by licensed train operator Pre Metro Operations Ltd.
TECHNOLOGY: The "Kinergetic" technology used in PPM vehicles is licensed to the company by JPM Parry & Associates Ltd, a West Midlands engineering company specialising in overseas development, integrated transport, and energy/environmental issues.
PHOTOGRAPHS: A wide range of pictures of PPM vehicles can be obtained from Parry People Movers Ltd (contact details below).
FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact -
John Parry MBE, Chairman, Parry People Movers Ltd
Overend Road, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 7DD
Telephone: +44 (0)1384 569553
Fax: +44 (0)1384 637753
Email: info@parrypeoplemovers.com
Website: www.parrypeoplemovers.com
JPM Parry & Associates Ltd information
BACKGROUND: JPM Parry & Associates Ltd was founded in 1974 by John Parry, one of the early team of directors of the Intermediate Technology Development Group and chair of its Building Materials Panel, to offer technical services to the construction industry in Britain and overseas. Shortly afterwards, the company started to develop a range of intermediate technology machinery that could be used to produce quality building materials in developing countries using local resources. These are now in service in over 80 countries.
TRANSPORT INNOVATION: Applied to transport, the Parry approach to technological development produced the flywheel energy storage system licensed to Parry People Movers Ltd.
EXPERTISE: The experience gained from project management of the PPM venture, including the approvals for public operation at Stourbridge, has given JPM Parry & Associates Ltd a unique background in the introduction of transport innovation. This knowledge can now be transferred to numerous other applications where a new approach to would permit high-quality, attractive public transport to be implemented.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact -
Caspar Lucas, Technical Services Director, JPM Parry & Associates Ltd
Overend Road, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 7DD
Telephone: +44 (0)1384 569171
Fax: +44 (0)1384 637753
Email: info@parryassociates.com
Website: www.parryassociates.com/transport
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