A FORTHCOMING European Directive may have the effect of making new diesel trains very difficult and expensive to build, the industry is being warned.

The 'greener' engines will be significantly bigger and compulsory on all new and re-engined diesel units from 2012.

The warning has come from the Freight Transport Association, which is concerned about the potentially 'disastrous' impact of this change. 

It says the new rules will mean that existing locomotives will not be permitted to be re-engined with anything except Directive-compliant units -- which are not yet even available.

The next stage of the 'Non-Road Mobile Machinery' Directive controls particulate emissions from the power units of non-road vehicles and machines, including chainsaws, cranes and railway vehicles. It applies to the emissions standards of ‘new power units’ that are ‘made’ and ‘placed on the market’.

The FTA says that rolling stock builders are also reported to be very concerned.

FTA rail freight policy manager Chris MacRae explained: “Ostensibly about air quality, the NRMM Directive poses a seriously threat to rail freight carrying with it insidious consequences. Not only does it require new build or re-engined locomotives to be fitted with a power unit that doesn’t currently exist, and is unlikely to in the immediate future, it is also questionable if the larger cooler system required by the NRMM for new build or re-engined locos would actually fit into existing locomotive designs due to the UK’s restrictive loading gauge. The situation is especially parlous for operators of Class 66 locos if they want to re-engine them at future life-extension overhauls.”

He added: “With the reported lack of interest in building such a power unit, and no flexibility built into the NRMM Directive to allow for power units being retrofitted, many freight operators will be getting very hot under the collar.

“Rail freight has been enjoying something of a renaissance of late with its environmental and commercial benefits being brought to the fore. But, if manufacturers are not making locomotives then it doesn’t matter how much new business freight operating companies win, they simply won’t have the necessary capacity. This particularly affects new entrants or smaller freight operators. They simply don’t have access to stored older locos that could be refurbished, and even if they did then NRMM would make re-engining a far less viable option. The whole situation is extremely unsatisfactory.”

The same rules will affect new passenger rolling stock, and also the future replacement of engines in HSTs and other diesel trains. ATOC told Railnews it was 'considering the implications', and that a statement could be expected soon.

The results could be particularly serious for railways in Great Britain and Ireland, where there is a higher proportion of non-electrified lines than in many other European countries.

The only electric railway in Ireland is the DART local system, which mainly serves towns on or near the coast of County Dublin, while in Britain a debate is under way about further electrification. In particular, the government has signalled that the Great Western Main Line, which was nominated last year for early conversion, may now remain diesel-operated indefinitely because of spending cutbacks.