Revamped train makes an ‘electric’ comeback
DECOMMISSIONED TRAIN GETS A NEW LOOK AND A GIANT BATTERY
WHEN the D Stock trains which ran on the London Underground District line made their final journeys in April 2017, London thought it had seen the last of them.
Now, one of the 75 trainsets is making a surprising return to the capital thanks to an overhaul which means it is able to run using a giant battery.
This technology will allow it to run a zero local emission, environmentally friendly service on the few nonelectrified passenger lines in London, which currently rely on diesel to power passenger trains.
GWR, which runs train services across West London, has teamed up with Network Rail and engineering firm Vivarail to start a trial using the overhauled ex-Tube train on the branch line between West Ealing and Greenford, which is not electrified.
A special charging facility will be installed at West Ealing station to allow the train to power up and then it will run using its battery only to Greenford and back.
The technology behind the trial was first showcased at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November.
In previous testing, the train has been able to fully charge in 10 minutes and run for 62 miles on one charge, meaning it should be able to handle the five-mile round trip from West Ealing to Greenford and back with ease.
It is good news for passengers along one of London’s least used railway lines as it signals the railway is willing to keep investing in the link.
The former District line trains have found various new lives around the country after their decommissioning by TfL.
Some operate in Wales under the new Class 230 name, which is also the classification given to the train which is being used by GWR in this trial. Others are now on the Isle of Wight running services on the SWRoperated Island Line as Class 484.
The trial will start later this year and has received £2.15 million in Government funding as well as funding from Innovate UK.
There are not expected to be any immediate knock-on effects to the passenger service or timetable on the line except for the trial train being used at certain times.
This solution is only expected to be an intermediate solution in the face of the climate emergency. In the long-term, the Government needs to electrify all of Britain and Northern Ireland’s railway lines in order to reduce carbon emissions generated by the transport sector.
Although rail is one of the greenest ways to travel, transport is one of the few sectors where carbon emissions have not declined substantially.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has a goal of getting London net-zero in terms of carbon emissions by 2030 but does not have the power to force the Government to electrify the small number of railway lines in the capital which remain non-electrified.
All lines used by TfL services are now electrified and London has almost 1,000 fully electric buses either in service or on order.
Rail Minister Wendy Morton said: “We are world leaders in developing cutting edge green technology and this new zero-emission train supports our ambitious plan to move towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Through our Plan for Rail and the Transport Decarbonisation Plan we are making the railways the backbone of a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly and modern public transport network.”
GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said: “This is a really exciting development and underlines our commitment to reduce the carbon emissions of our train fleet with a view to removing all diesel-only traction from the network by 2040, in line with the government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
“We’re looking forward to working with our rail industry colleagues over the coming months to be able to rigorously test this battery train and charger on the Greenford branch line.”