A TRAIN company running services over the Pennines has told its drivers to shut off engines on downhill sections to save money.
Rising fuel costs and an attempt to cut carbon emissions prompted First Transpennine Express to try out the idea - which it said had been a success.
The company - which runs services from Sheffield to Manchester - said it was saving about seven pe
r cent of its fuel consumption without affecting its passengers' comfort. The multi-engined trains can shut any number of their units while running.
Nick Donovan, from First Transpennine Express, said: "The trains operate on one, two or three engines - but there's an electrical supply between the coaches which allows all the control and passenger comfort systems to be maintained even if an engine is shut down."
The company's fleet manager Paul Staples added: "The train detects where it is using an on-board GPS system.
"It can also tell how a driver is actually driving and, if everything is OK, one engine will be switched off and the train, which normally runs on three engines, can run on two."
He said there was an override facility that enabled crews to re-engage the idle engine if either more power was needed or to catch up after a specific delay.
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FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport. The full article contains 265 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
