Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers simulate alternative fuel options for rail

In Virginia, researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently created a nationwide multi-train simulation software, called NeTrainSim, to provide a clearer picture of this very situation.

The open-sourced model ran multiple simulations of the country’s network of freight trains powered by alternative fuel sources, such as electricity, biodiesel, hydrogen, and hybrids. The results are perhaps the first comparative analysis of an industrywide shift away from diesel.

The alpha version of NeTrainSim is available for download and the team’s findings were recently featured in the academic journal Applied Energy.