A branch in West London will become the first GWR route to be served by a battery train on 31 January.

Saturday services on the West Ealing to Greenford line will be provided from now on by the specially converted Class 230 unit, which was originally part of a D78 stock Underground train before it was bought by engineers Vivarail. The Warwickshire-based firm was run by the late Adrian Shooter and has now ceased trading.

Some of Vivarail’s assets were acquired by GWR along with several specialised staff in February 2023, and they have been testing the unit on the Greenford branch since February 2024. The track has been fitted with a short length of conductor rail at West Ealing which is only live when a train is over it, and which charges the batteries between journeys.

A test run took the Class 230 unit for 322km from Reading to London Paddington and then to Oxford last August, from where it returned to London and finally back to Reading. The previous battery train record of 224km had been set by Stadler Deutschland in Berlin in 2021.

The GWR run used ‘Supermode’, which meant running no faster than 40mph (64km/h) and switching off the heating. GWR calculated that under typical ‘branch line conditions’ it could still have achieved between 50 and 80 miles (80 to 130km) between charges.

The first battery service will leave West Ealing at 05.30 on Saturday.

GWR engineering director Dr Simon Green said: ‘This is a significant moment for all those involved in this innovative project and comes at a crucial time as we focus on plans to replace our ageing diesel fleet.

‘Our fast-charge trial has successfully demonstrated that battery technology offers a reliable and efficient alternative to power electric trains, in cases where overhead lines aren’t possible or desirable.

‘Delivering the train into passenger service will enable us to gain further insight which can be fed into our own decarbonisation plans, as well as those of the wider rail industry.

Network Rail’s Western route director Marcus Jones added: ‘We’re delighted to see this record‑breaking battery train move into passenger service, representing a major step forward for sustainable rail travel in Britain.

‘I’d like to congratulate colleagues at Great Western Railway and Network Rail who have worked so hard to make the trial a success and make this next step possible, and also pay tribute to the late Adrian Shooter, whose vision this was.’

‘I’d like to thank rail industry colleagues who worked collaboratively on this project, including our Network Rail teams who installed the fast-charge battery banks and assisted with the safety reviews to ensure both the train and the infrastructure were ready for the introduction of passenger services. GWR’s fast‑charge trial has shown just how promising this technology is and today marks another important milestone for the industry.’

The unit will be working Saturday trains on the Greenford line from now on, but GWR is hoping to use it on other days as well while monitoring its performance. GWR is working with the DfT and other train operators to build the best financial case for investment in battery-powered trains.

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