Observations of train control performance on a camshaft-operated DC electrical multiple unit

In order to reduce energy consumption on DC railways where regenerative braking is not available, train control strategy or ‘driver style’ is a practical alternative. In 2011, instrumentation to monitor energy consumption on the Merseyrail network was fitted to a British Rail Class 508 DC camshaft-operated electrical multiple unit. In this paper, seven services from Hunts Cross to Southport are highlighted to demonstrate a number of driver styles and their correlation with energy consumption. The differences in energy consumption were observed to be related to driver aggression in both the acceleration and deceleration phases.