Vivarail launched the UK’s first passenger battery train in the last 50 years in October 2018. The train carried hundreds of passengers over three days of service in Scotland – an event that was supported by Transport Scotland and ScotRail.
As well as demonstrating that battery trains are ready for service now, new data was collected that allowed Vivarail to assess and confirm performance data on a challenging route with many steep gradients. The train was accompanied by its mobile charging unit which was used for a few hours each night to provide a day’s worth of charge.
A 3-car Class 230 can run for 65 miles between charges which means they are more than able to operate numerous routes throughout the UK, and active conversations are taking place with interested operators. Battery trains enable emission-free rail travel in areas where electrification is either non- or only partially existent. The trains are particularly suited to urban routes where authorities wish to eliminate pollution caused by traditional DMUs as well as scenic lines where the natural environment needs protecting.
With the stated desire of the Government to phase out diesel trains by 2040 Vivarail’s Class 230 is a next generation train already proven for today. The 65 mile range exceeds the expectations of many and shows how Vivarail is leading the market with the only battery train available today in the UK.
Currently Vivarail is building a fleet of diesel/battery hybrids to operate the Wrexham-Bidston line for Transport for Wales, where the diesel gensets will be used to charge the batteries not to power the train. This power variant gives the range of a diesel train, the performance of an EMU (with acceleration of 1m p/s/s up to 40 miles per hour) and combines it with emission-free travel. As well as using the genset to charge the batteries the train also has regenerative braking – as do all the battery trains.
Designs for other types of hybrid trains exist including the use of existing OHL with a pantograph and transformer and 3rd rail with shoegear. Additionally, a new hydrogen variant is being developed which, similarly to the diesel hybrid, will exceed the pure battery train’s range of 65 miles.
Hoppecke’s Lithium Ion batteries are ideally suited for the Class 230s by providing the rapid charging needed for battery trains. Simulations and performance data show that many non-electrified routes can be operated by the Class 230 battery trains and to make this possible in the short-term Vivarail has designed and patented an automatic charging system and battery bank. This means that costs of both infrastructure upgrades and daily operation are hugely minimised – in some cases by millions of pounds.
With the stated desire of the Government to phase out diesel trains by 2040 Vivarail’s Class 230 is a next generation train already proven for today. The 65 mile range exceeds the expectations of many and shows how Vivarail is leading the market with the only battery train available today in the UK.
Designs for other types of hybrid trains exist including the use of existing OHL with a pantograph and transformer and 3rd rail with shoegear. Additionally, a new hydrogen variant is being developed which, similarly to the diesel hybrid, will exceed the pure battery train’s range of 65 miles.
Hoppecke’s Lithium Ion batteries are ideally suited for the Class 230s by providing the rapid charging needed for battery trains. Simulations and performance data show that many non-electrified routes can be operated by the Class 230 battery trains and to make this possible in the short-term Vivarail has designed and patented an automatic charging system and battery bank. This means that costs of both infrastructure upgrades and daily operation are hugely minimised – in some cases by millions of pounds.
Adrian Shooter, CEO of Vivarail, said “We are delighted to be working with Hoppecke – a company with similar values to our own. Hoppecke has built a strong reputation in their market for innovation, building customer relations and genuinely smart products. We have taken our time choosing a supplier with whom we want to work for many years as our order pipeline continues to grow. Together with Hoppecke we will be able to provide our customers with battery trains that are reliable, quick to market and with a rapidly increasing range. I look forward to the first of our Class 230 trains complete with Hoppecke batteries coming into service soon.”
Dr Marc Zoellner, CEO of Hoppecke, said, “At Hoppecke we are excited to support Vivarail as the UK’s leading battery train manufacturer. We have followed their journey with great interest and were most impressed when they launched their battery train this year. We know that Vivarail intend to put battery technology at the heart of their design for the foreseeable future and we are delighted to be part of that.”
Dr Marc Zoellner, CEO of Hoppecke, said, “At Hoppecke we are excited to support Vivarail as the UK’s leading battery train manufacturer. We have followed their journey with great interest and were most impressed when they launched their battery train this year. We know that Vivarail intend to put battery technology at the heart of their design for the foreseeable future and we are delighted to be part of that.”
0 Response to "Vivarail and Hoppecke announce long-term supply of batteries for Class 230s"
Post a Comment