Great Western Railway has officially commenced trials of battery-powered trains with fast charging on the Greenford branch, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Trials of Battery-Powered Trains with Fast Charging

Over the past two weeks, GWR engineers have successfully tested the compatibility of fast-charging technology with the Class 230 battery, allowing full-scale trials to begin.

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Ultimately, there is hope that these trials will pave the way for the use of battery-powered trains across railway branches in Britain, providing reliable, low-carbon emission services, contributing to the UK government’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The use of batteries to power electric trains eliminates the need for overhead catenary wires, which are expensive, labor-intensive to install, and impact landscapes.

However, their potential is often limited by range, hindering widespread adoption. Thus, GWR’s fast-charging technology is aimed at addressing this challenge.

This technology will enable the train to recharge in just 3.5 minutes at West Ealing before resuming service on the Greenford branch.

During these trials, the battery-powered train will conduct non-passenger as well as regular passenger services, following GWR’s previous modeling on other lines in the Thames Valley.

These trials were previously scheduled as per the contract with Vivarail, signed in February 2022, for testing the new battery charging technology.

Following Vivarail’s administration in December 2022, GWR secured contracts for the purchase of intellectual property, rolling stock, and equipment related to the FastCharge technology.

Photo: Great Western Railway

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