TransPennine Express kicks off first intercity battery trial

The project is a collaboration between Hitachi Rail, TransPennine Express and Angel Trains. Claimed to be the first intercity battery train in the UK, the five-carriage intercity Class 802 is a diesel/electric hybrid, with the battery producing peak power of more than 700 kW. According to information from Hitachi Rail, the single battery unit is estimated to have a capacity of around 750kWh, though the exact figure is yet to be confirmed. 

Hitachi Rail says the trial will provide real-world evidence to inform the business case for a 100 per cent battery-electric intercity train, capable of running up to 100km in battery mode. This range would allow battery technology to cover the final non-electrified sections of Britain’s intercity routes in the coming years. Battery trains or battery-electric hybrids could also offer reduced infrastructure costs versus full electrification, by reducing the need for overhead wires in tunnel sections and over complex junctions.

“We’re really 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.