For the first time in the history of Britain, Hitachi Rail ran a test trial of a diesel-powered train retrofitted with battery. This technology predicts a reduction in emissions and an improvement in the energy efficiency of trains.
The battery was retrofitted onto a TransPennine Express ‘Nova 1’ train that ran between Sunderland and Newcastle in England’s far northeast. The battery unit generates power of over 700kw and is enough to store electricity to power more than 75 houses a day.
The test is a collaboration between TransPennine Express, (which runs the trains) Angel Trains, (which makes the carriages) Turntide Technologies, (which manufactures the batteries) and Hitachi Rail, a Japanese railway firm that runs trains in Britain.
The retrofitted battery will deliver the same levels of high-speed acceleration and performance and is no heavier than the diesel engine it replaces. The installation of a battery is likely to reduce emissions and fuel costs by as much as 30% on a Hitachi intercity train.
“We’re pleased to be a part of this innovative and critically important trial of battery technology,” said Paul Staples, Engineering, Safety and Sustainability Director at TransPennine Express. “We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and are constantly looking at ways of making rail travel even more sustainable and efficient.”
The trial will also test how intercity trains can enter and leave non-electrified stations in zero-emission battery mode which will improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
