After eight months of testing on the rails with passengers aboard on a West London branch line, the Great Western Railway is ready to run its battery-powered commuter trains on more lines.
The trains, upgraded from retired Underground cars, are equipped with fast-charge technology that allows them to recharge in the few minutes it takes for the train driver to shift from one end of the train to the other for the return trip.
Since March, the company says, “More than 430 return trips have been completed between West Ealing and Greenford, testing the technology’s capability in all weather conditions and temperatures.”
During trials in February 2024, the fast-charge battery train set a new distance record in the UK by travelling 86 miles (138km) on battery power alone and without recharging while operating in a real-world environment, at speeds of up to 60mph, stopping and starting on a hill route with elevation changes of up to 200m.
The program is aimed eventually at replacing polluting diesel operation on branch lines without having to install huge networks of third-rail or overhead wire. The UK has about 80 branch lines totaling about 2,000 miles of route that would be suitable for battery operation.
Similar trains have begun to see service on branch lines in Germany and more countries are interested.
