Battery train sets 320 km distance record as GWR explores alternatives to diesel traction

UK: Great Western Railway has set a world record for the furthest distance travelled by a battery-electric train on a single charge.

The operator said this demonstrates the capabilities of battery-electric trains, as it looks to replace its ageing diesel multiple-units which are expected to reach the end of their lives in the next seven to 10 years.

World record run

The record run overnight on August 19-20 used a Class 230 battery multiple-unit converted from London Underground metro cars by Vivarail. GWR bought Vivarail’s battery train assets when the company went into administration, and over the past year the operator has been using the Class 230 to trial fast-charge technology using a line-side battery bank and short charging rails installed on the Greenford branch line in west London.

The record run covered 320 km (200 miles, coinciding with this year’s Railway 200 celebrations of the anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway) on a return journey from Reading Train Care Depot to London (twice) and Oxford.

It beat the previous record of 224 km achieved by Stadler using a new-build Flirt Akku battery-electric multiple-unit in Berlin in 2021.

The GWR train operated in its most efficient ‘SuperMode’, travelling at speeds of between 50 and 65 km/h and without heating. GWR calculates that around 190 km could have been achieved travelling at the full speed of 95 km/h, or 80-130 km under typical branch line operating conditions.

GWR said there are more than 30 routes operating battery trains worldwide, with the furthest distance self-powered being 68 km. Its own trials have found that fast-charge battery trains could be used on its branch lines in the Thames Valley, Devon and Cornwall, and on similar routes across Britain. The battery train showed an 80% reduction in total carbon emissions compared to its diesel equivalent.

‘Today’s record attempt has been a bit of fun, but it also underlines a serious point: investment in battery technology is essential as we look to replace our ageing diesel fleet’, said GWR Engineering Director Dr Simon Green. ’Overhead lines will remain the first choice to power electric trains, but where that isn’t possible or desirable, battery technology like this offers a reliable and efficient alternative to bridge the gap.

‘As part of our future rolling stock plans we’ll need battery trains to routinely cover over 60 miles [95 km] between charges — and today’s achievement provides clear evidence that this is a viable and exciting solution for the future of our railway.’

Fast-charge battery technology works, says GWR

The long-range trial run came after GWR published a white paper on its Greenford trial, which explored whether battery trains can offer a realistic and cost-effective alternative to diesel without the cost of overhead electrification.

The white paper says ‘if you take one fact away from this report, it’s this: fast-charge battery train technology works.’ 

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood says in the white paper that the Greenford trial was undertaken ‘not because we think 45-year-old Underground trains are the answer, they’re not’, but because ‘the technology fitted to this one, and alongside the track, puts it at the forefront of cutting edge research, delivering evidence for the benefit of the wider rail industry.’

With GWR needing to replace much of its diesel train fleet, Hopwood says white paper ‘aims to build understanding and support across government, industry and regional stakeholders’ that to avoid the need for newer diesel trains ‘we need to expand our horizons and start making decisions today.’

Hopwood says ‘if we miss this opportunity, we could end up having to lock in outdated diesel technology – trains that will be more expensive to run, harder to maintain, and inconsistent with the UK’s net zero commitments’.