The hypothesis is that it is possible to achieve more efficient use of energy with this type of train and that there are also other types of benefits at the corporate and societal levels. This is evaluated by measuring the trains’ electricity consumption and by carrying out various costbenefit analyses. An analysis is also made of how the trains affect the use of capacity, other traffic, their sensitivity to disruptions and operating requirements.
– VTI's role in the project is that, together with Linköping University, make the independent assessment of longer and heavier trains, says Inge Vierth, VTI, who is the project manager.
Several demonstration projects
On Saturday, 6 October 2012, the first demo train within the framework of the Elvis Project started its journey. A 730-metre long train, instead of the usual 630 metres, with paper products from different forest industry companies travelled from Gävle to Malmö in Sweden. This train made fewer stops, which ought to reduce electricity consumption. Additional projects with heavier trains are being planned, including for SCA’s timber transportation in the Swedish provinces Norrbotten and Västerbotten.
Project reports
Summary of results, experiences and lessons learned from ELVIS demonstration project for longer and heavier trains, VTI notat 25-2014
Actual conditions for using longer trains and trial with longer freight train between Gävle and Malmö, VTI rapport 828 (2014)
Investigations and tests with longer and heavier trains performed in Sweden, VTI notat 13-2013
Project participants
The project is being carried out by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) and Linköping University in collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Forest Industries Federation and its member companies SCA Skog, SCA Transforest, Stora Enso Skog, Stora Enso Logistics and Scandfibre Logistics.
It is being joint funded by the Swedish Energy Agency and the participants and is scheduled to last until the spring of 2014.
Links
The Swedish Energy Agency
The Swedish Forest Industries Federation
Linköping University
The Swedish Transport Administration