United Kingdom: Great Western Railway launches battery-only train on West London route

WR Class 230 battery train. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

The UK's Great Western Railway introduced the nation's first-ever battery-only powered train for passenger service, operating on a five-mile return route in West London.

The GWR Class 230 battery train will carry passengers on the Greenford branch line, a five-mile return route from West Ealing to Greenford, replacing its diesel counterpart.

It follows a 22-month trial period of rapid charging technology on the Greenford branch line, during which the train was tested under various operational conditions.

During the testing period, the train covered 200.5 miles (322.6 km), setting a world record for the longest distance traveled by a battery-electric train on a single charge.

The battery will recharge in just three and a half minutes back at West Ealing station between trips, using a 2000kW charger connected to a few metres of rail that only becomes live when the train stops directly overhead.

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