The UK’s first battery-powered train traveled 70 km at 120 km/h and outperformed diesel trains.

Testing of the first intercity battery-powered train has completed in the UK. They showed the ability of railway transport to be both environmentally friendly and efficient. The costs of electric “fuel” were 35–50% lower compared to a diesel-powered train. Also, battery range eliminates the need for costly electrification of lines and especially tunnels. Therefore, the transition to battery-powered compounds is not far off.

Image source: Hitachi Rail

Technical support for the project was provided by the Japanese company Hitachi Rail with the participation of the UK government agency Innovate UK for innovation and scientists from the University of Birmingham. A battery pack equal in weight to a diesel engine was placed in the space under the bottom of the locomotive. There he did not interfere with passengers. The battery power was 700 kW. The capacity remains unknown. When the batteries were fully charged, the train traveled over 70 km and accelerated to 120 km/h.

Hitachi Rail is considered the only manufacturer of traction batteries for railway vehicles. Previously, electric trains were launched using its batteries in Japan and Europe. For example, the Masaccio battery train began operating in Italy. The UK has praised the all-electric train’s ability to cover non-electrified sections and expects Hitachi Rail to be able to create a fully automatic train with a range of 100 to 150 km.

At the same time, environmentally friendly rail transport is also developing in a different direction. Trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells can run for a week on a single fill of hydrogen. Hydrogen requires more careful handling than conventional batteries, but may prove more cost-effective for emission-free operation of trains.