Battery EMUs
Hitachi explores potential for battery power to be provided on new ScotRail Class 385 electric multiple units.
BATTERY-POWERED electric multiple units could be manufactured by Hitachi.
The company is close to completing the final Class 385 EMUs for ScotRail at Newton Aycliffe, which concludes the Scottish Government’s order for 70 trains.
However, Hitachi told RAIL that there is the capacity to either install batteries on the trains, or to provide a bespoke battery train.
“We could provide these trains - or similar regional trains - to customers across the UK if there was the appetite,” said a spokesman.
Transport Scotland has made it clear that it wants to investigate alternative power for trains in the future, and has already visited a battery-powered Class 230 D-Train that was trialled for a number of days at the Bo’Ness & Kinneil Railway last October.
Likewise, the UK Government announced in February 2018 that it planned to eradicate diesel power from trains by 2040, with manufacturers at the time confirming plans to investigate hybrid power ( RAIL 847).
So far, planned trials with hydrogen have been announced by Angel Trains, Eversholt Rail and Porterbrook, while Alstom is already committed to converting Class 321s for its Breeze project ( RAIL 870). However, the ‘385s’ would be the first new-build confirmed for alternative power.
Network Rail and Bombardier tested a battery-powered Class 379 on the Harwich branch in early 2015, but no main line tests have been carried out since. The five Class 230 hybrids for Transport for Wales will be diesel-battery trains (as opposed to electrics).
Hitachi has previously stated that its Intercity Express Programme Class 800/801s could be converted to battery power by the removal of their diesel engines.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer has also confirmed that the four pre-series Class 385s currently being internally refitted in Pistoia (Italy) will move to Scotland soon. Their transit is being finalised before they are brought back.
Hitachi says 385001/002, 385101/102 will be delivered in time to meet SR’s fleet introduction requirement.