It’s a UK distance record for battery-powered train tested in Long Marston
GREAT Western Railway’s innovative FastCharge battery train, which has been undergoing testing at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, has laid claim to the UK distance record for a battery-powered train.
The train, which has undergone more than 1,500 hours of testing at Long Marston, has carried out a series of test runs between Long Marston, Evesham, Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh.
Earlier this month, it claimed the UK record by travelling 86 miles on battery power alone and without recharging. It then completed a 70-mile move from Long Marston to Reading Train Care Depot using just 45 per cent of its battery capacity.
GWR’s team of specialist engineers on board the train reckon it could have travelled more than 120 miles on a single charge.
While at Reading, the train will undergo compatibility testing and preparedness for future maintenance and servicing requirements.
GWR engineering director Dr Simon Green said: “We were delighted by how the battery train performed today and during its series of test runs. In fact, it’s fair to say it has surpassed the expectations of our team of engineers.
“Achieving these distances gives us great confidence as we press forward with this industry-leading FastCharge technology.
“It’s also worth noting that in reaching the 86 miles on Wednesday, the train was operating in a real-world environment, at speeds of up to 60mph, stopping and starting over a hilly route, with elevation changes of up to 200m.”
The train exceeded the 84 miles recorded by a Stadler Class 777 under test conditions in 2022 – believed to have been the greatest distance travelled by a battery train designed for the UK.
GWR’s FastCharge technology has been designed to solve the problem of delivering reliable, battery-only trains capable of fulfilling timetable services on branch lines, eliminating the use of diesel-powered locomotives and helping to meet the Government and wider rail industry’s target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The use of batteries for extended operation has typically been constrained by their range and meant widespread implementation has, until now, not been possible. It also negates the need for overhead electric lines which are expensive, time consuming to install and impact the landscape.
At West Ealing, where the technology will be trialled in a real-world environment for the first time this spring, the train will charge for just 3 ½ minutes before restarting its journey on the Greenford branch line.
GWR has already carried out simulations on other branch lines in the Thames Valley to explore how it could be rolled out even further in the future. This could reduce GWR emissions alone by over 1,700 tons of CO2e per year.
It is hoped the technology could one day see battery-powered trains in operation across the UK’s approximately 2,000 miles of 80-plus branch lines.
