Bob Summers
November, 2022
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TRANSPRESS
Bob Summers, our International Key Account Manager for Transport was invited to visit the latest stage of Scotland’s hydrogen-powered train project, involving Arcola Energy, the University of St Andrews and Scottish Enterprise, which was happening during the COP26 climate change conference. He took the opportunity to speak with a consortium of industry leaders in Hydrogen cell technology and view the train at Bo’ness station.
“Hydrogen traction power was shown to offer a safe and reliable zero carbon alternative to the current Scotrail fleets. It was a great opportunity to see where and how the new power source could be used and what vehicles typically could benefit from the power cells. A council refuse lorry and double decker bus were also on display adjacent to the rail track and a Hydrogen power cell had already been fitted to the refuse lorry to show how easily the hydrogen power source could be installed in new vehicles.
The reason for my visit was to see the ScotRail Class 314 electric train that had been refurbished to demonstrate the feasibility of the hydrogen cells being installed below floor level on the older rail cars.
What I wanted to see was how Arcola Energy had installed the Flotex FR flocked textile flooring in the saloon areas and the Coral Duo FR entrance matting in the vestibule and bike areas. The main driver for using the Flotex FR was the acoustic benefit it offered, which reduces the underfloor noise considerably, due mainly to the textile construction and the 70+ million fibres per square meter which act as an effective sound barrier.
The Coral Duo FR had been used to great effect in the vestibules and the bike storage area. By stopping up to 95% of walked in dirt and moisture, the installation of Coral Duo FR can help to prolong the life of rail interior floor coverings and finishes. Additionally, Coral Duo FR uses Econyl® yarn which is made from used and abandoned fishing nets, adding to the environmental benefits of this train. Both products looked great on the floor.
After several very interesting conversations with the visitors and staff on site, it became obvious that there is a huge interest in new technologies, not just hydrogen for the future of our rail systems.”
You can learn more about Forbo Flooring Systems commitment to the environment, and to view our Sustainability Report 2021 click here.
