Batteries included: GWR launches its Class 230 fast-charge technology trial
Railway began a year-long trial of its fast-charge Class 230 train on the branch line between Greenford and West Ealing in mid-march.
An event was held at West Ealing on March 15 to demonstrate the technology and showcase the groundbreaking project which could help to transform branch lines around the country, as the railway looks to phase out diesel-only traction by 2040.
The trial will see the three-coach train, converted from former London Underground D78 Stock, operated on the Greenford branch for the next year. This is to test the battery and charging technology in a range of real-life scenarios and operating the train in different environmental conditions. While the Class 230 train will not be operated in passenger service initially, this could be introduced later in the project as part of the testing for the train.
The train, 230001 Viva Venturer, made its first demonstration runs under battery power as part of the COP26 conference in Scotland in 2021. The technology involves a trackside charging system with trickle-fed battery energy storage, operated alongside short charging rails and an interlock system that can be installed in a matter of hours, with the fast-charge shoe-gear beneath the train connecting the Class 230 to the charging rails. The train can be charged in around four-minutes at stations where the fast-charge equipment is located.
GWR signed a formal agreement with Vivarail in February 2022 to trial the fast-charge technology on the Greenford branch. However, the scheme has not been without its challenges. When Vivarail entered administration in December 2022, agreement had to be reached between the Department for Transport and GWR to buy the rolling stock that Vivarail owned at Long Marston, as well as the intellectual property behind the technology to allow the trial to go ahead under the auspices of GWR. The train operator
also employed the former Vivarail engineers who worked on the technology development.
Following the installation of the lineside trickle-charge battery equipment and fast-charge rails at West Ealing, the train was transferred to Reading from Long Marston on February 16. Testing of the unit on the branch got underway from the end of February, with initial trials surpassing the expectations of the engineers overseeing the tests.
Speaking at the launch event, GWR managing director Mark Hopwood CBE said: “Here at Great Western Railway, innovation is really important. People often say that GWR is harking back to history, but we’re not. Great Western Railway is about doing what Brunel set out to do, which is to be several steps ahead of everyone else, so with this technology we’re doing just that.
“GWR has always had a bold and broad approach about replacing diesel-only trains and we are proud to continue leading the way with innovation. We are blessed with having a number of branch lines, such as here in the Thames Valley, as well as in Devon and Cornwall, which I think are ideal places for this technology to be rolled out.
“The hard work starts now, as we test the performance of the technology in what’s going to be a variety of different climates and operating conditions. We’ve already demonstrated with the work we have done that there is a place for fast-charge battery technology to decarbonise the UK rail network.
“Although at this stage we are only running the train on the Greenford branch, we have done computer simulations of how this could work on routes such as Windsor, Bourne End, Marlow and Henley, and we believe that the technology could transfer across there quite easily.”
The company said there are currently no plans for 230001 to remain in use beyond the end of the fast-charge trial. The trial seeks to test the technology, which can then be used for fitting to new train fleets in the future, or for retro-fitting onto existing fleets that are currently used on branch lines or on routes deemed suitable for the fast-charge system. GWR said a switch to fast-charge technology on the four Thames Valley branch lines could reduce the operator’s emissions alone by more than 1700 tons on CO2E per year.
Paying tribute to the founder of Vivarail, the late Adrian Shooter CBE, Mr Hopwood said: “It was Adrian’s passion for developing fast-charging systems that brought us to where we are today. We originally engaged with Vivarail as a separate business on this project and we recognise the great work they’ve done.
“When there were some challenges, we worked with the Department for Transport to find a solution. That enabled us to ensure that the intellectual property on the rolling stock was protected, and we have also employed a fantastic team of engineers who have continued to develop the system and have actively been involved in the testing.
“The record of all that hard work is here today and we have a train that can operate on branch lines to at least the same timetable as a diesel train, but we don’t have the associated emissions or air quality issues.”