Friday, August 30, 2024 UK launches groundbreaking trials for battery-powered intercity trains, marking a major step forward in sustainable and efficient rail travel. The UK’s groundbreaking intercity battery-powered train has started trials on the national rail network this week. This significant development will see battery technology tested on routes connecting York to Manchester Airport and Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street over the next two months.
The train is easily identifiable by its distinctive new livery, symbolizing the partnership between TransPennine Express (TPE), Angel Trains, and Hitachi Rail. Throughout the trial period, various critical assessments will be conducted, including evaluating the battery’s capability to enhance hill performance, regenerative braking for charging, reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, and the ability to operate in zero-emission battery mode within train stations. These rail network trials follow the successful completion of low-speed tests at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe manufacturing site, where the train was powered solely by the battery, producing no tailpipe emissions.
This marks the first UK initiative where a diesel engine has been swapped out for a battery on an intercity train. A battery has been effectively integrated into one of TPE’s ‘Nova 1’ trains (a five-carriage intercity Class 802). Boasting a peak power output exceeding 700kw, the battery is expected to cut emissions and fuel costs by up to 30% for a Hitachi intercity train.
It also aims to demonstrate how battery technology can minimize railway costs by reducing the necessity for overhead electrical wires in tunnels and complex junctions. This trial is designed to bolster the UK’s battery sector and support green economic growth, with Hitachi Rail investing over £15 million to advance this innovative technology in collaboration with Turntide Technologies in Sunderland. Drawing on Hitachi’s extensive global expertise, this project builds on successes like the launch of the world’s first passenger battery train in Japan and the deployment of Europe’s first battery hybrid train, the Masaccio, in Italy in 2022.
The evolution of this technology is ongoing, with Hitachi Rail recently revealing a new intercity model and planning to introduce the EuroMasaccio to additional European markets, including Germany, by 2026. This battery’s development represents a significant leap forward for the rail industry, both domestically and internationally. Hitachi Rail’s goal is to install this battery technology on trains globally, potentially creating a new UK export while enhancing energy efficiency.
With thousands of diesel-powered trains in operation worldwide that need to be decarbonized to meet net zero objectives, the Masaccio in Italy has already halved CO2 emissions compared to the diesel trains it replaced. Replacing diesel engines with robust battery systems and enabling cost-effective partial electrification can offer a feasible path to decarbonizing rail networks globally..
