"You might wonder at the choices in layout, and that's because, before it was being tested on West London's Greenford branch line, it was up in Glasgow. The train spent a fortnight during the COP26 climate conference, shuttling between Glasgow Central and Barrhead stations as a proof-of-concept demonstration of how a low-carbon public transport service could work. It also had something that's been removed - a bar for the guests to enjoy a drink while on the trip. Wails!"
"Later, following the collapse of Vivarail, which had developed the concept, GWR acquired the technology assets and began work to turn the concept into reality. GWR has a number of short branch lines and will eventually need to replace the old diesel trains that are used on them. However, the UK government has a policy of removing all diesel-only trains from the rail network by 2040. So, something different is needed - hybrid, discontinuous electric, hydrogen, etc had to be looked at."
A former London Underground train was converted to run on the national rail network and carried paying passengers as a test of underfloor battery technology. The unit remains a test train; any ordered fleet would use modern passenger designs. The interior now features walk-through carriages, varied seating, tables, USB sockets and a toilet. The train previously operated in Glasgow during COP26 as a low-carbon shuttle and initially included a temporary bar. After Vivarail collapsed, GWR acquired the technology assets and is developing battery-electric options to help replace diesel trains on short branch lines ahead of the 2040 diesel ban.
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