Hoppecke Industrial Batteries and Vivarail are working together to design and integrate batteries to power passenger trains in the UK.
Vivarail’s Class 230 trains will utilise Hoppecke’s fast-charging lithium-ion battery storage system, which can take on 1 megawatt of power in just eight minutes, or enough for a “robust 65-mile range”.
The move comes as the UK moves toward its stated objective of phasing out diesel trains by 2040.
In October, Vivarail launched the UK’s first battery-powered passenger train on “an arduous route across Scotland”, said to show that Hoppecke’s lithium-ion batteries are well-suited to use in trains on even the most challenging routes.
Simulations and performance data carried out by the two companies has shown that the Class 230 trains are suitable for use on many non-electrified rail routes, which could greatly reduce the cost of both infrastructure upgrades and daily operations.
Hoppecke UK managing director Jon Bailey said: “We know that Vivarail intends to put battery technology at the heart of its design for the foreseeable future and are delighted to be part of that innovation.”
Vivarail is building a fleet of diesel/battery hybrids to operate the Wrexham-Bidston line for transport for Wales. In these vehicles, the diesel gensets are used to charge the batteries rather than power the train.