Great Western Railway (GWR) successfully conducted a year-long trial using battery-powered trains in west London. The technology showed potential to replace existing diesel trains. Following the trial, GWR plans to expand the use of these trains in the Thames Valley and hopes to present the initiative to the government. The use of an onboard FastCharge battery and a rapid charging system with trackside batteries promises a cleaner, more economical railway. GWR's engineering director expressed confidence in the technology's applicability across the wider network.
The year-long trial was held in west London but the trains will eventually be rolled out in the Thames Valley. GWR says it can now prove the concept works and hopes to take the initiative to government.
GWR's railway franchise includes the west and south west of England, as well as routes between London and Didcot, Oxford, Reading and Windsor.
The rapid charging system works by installing huge trackside batteries, which are cheaper than fitting overhead wires.
The success of the trial allows GWR to look more confidently at a future without diesel, providing alternative options that are cheaper to deliver while achieving the common goal of a cleaner, greener railway.
#battery-powered-trains #great-western-railway #sustainable-transport #clean-energy #railway-technology
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