GBR-Rail, Britain, has developed Cleartrak, a sustainable train toilet waste treatment system that deals with waste on the train during operation, removing the maintenance of the Controlled Emission Tank (CET) from the depot work schedule.
Cleartrak recycles liquid waste for re-use by processing solid waste into a harmless odour free biochar which can be easily removed without the need for specialist maintenance equipment and infrastructure. The system also removes the need for a sewage network usage, excess empty stock movements, specialist maintenance equipment and resources, wastewater and freshwater distribution costs, logistical energy costs and significantly reduces maintenance costs.
This increases train availability, increases flexibility around stabling, improves sustainability, mitigates the risk of exposure to health hazards, improves toilet system availability and frees the train from the constraints imposed by limits in on-board wastewater and freshwater storage tank capacities.
Chiltern Railways signed up to trial Cleartrak initially on a test train and then in passenger service in July 2020. Garrandale was awarded a £365,000 grant by Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK to proceed with the trial in partnership with Chiltern Railways, Cranfield University, DB ESG, and Arriva Train Care.
