Vivarail targets overseas markets

Vivarail Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Shooter has told RAIL that a high proportion of the company’s ex-London Underground District Line stock could be destined for a life overseas.

Some 200 40-year-old D-Stock vehicles are currently stored at Vivarail’s base at Long Marston, awaiting conversion to diesel, electric, battery or hybrid-powered trains on the main line network.

The company has so far delivered three two-car diesel units to

London Northwestern Railway for use on the Marston Vale Line, and has substantially completed an order for five three-car diesel/hybrid trains for Transport for Wales.

Five two-car electric trains are also on order for South Western Railway on the Isle of Wight, with all units due to have crossed the Solent by the end of March 2021.

Shooter says the company is unlikely to fulfil any more orders for diesel variants of the D-Train, but continues to develop its battery offering that uses fast charging technology. It is also considering building a D-Train powered using hydrogen fuel cells.

He would not confirm where any orders were likely to come from but did reveal that Vivarail is bidding for a large overseas contract.

It is not known if there is any link with the announcement in March 2018 that Vivarail investor Railroad Development Corporation intends to test D-Trains in the USA.

Shooter told RAIL: “We are at the moment putting together a bid for an operator - not in this country - where the routes would be up to 500 miles long, to be provided totally with battery trains using this [fast charging] device.

“This bid we are putting together contemplates trains that are running for several hours - 60 to 70 miles between charging stations, but possibly going twice that far in emergency if the charging station should go down.”

Shooter confirmed that Vivarail has received a number of other firm orders but did not disclose any further details.

See feature, pages 50-53.