In a deal that secures a long-term future for battery-powered trains in the UK, Staffordshire-based Hoppecke Industrial Batteries and Vivarail (a rolling-stock manufacturer based in Stratford-upon-Avon) have confirmed that they will be working together on batteries to power Vivarail’s Class 230 passenger trains.

In October last year, Vivarail launched the UK’s first passenger train powered by a mobile charging unit developed by Hoppecke. It was successfully tested in Scotland, proving that Hoppecke’s lithium-ion batteries are suited to the most challenging routes and can provide the rapid charging needed for battery-powered travel.

Adrian Shooter, CEO of Vivarail, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hoppecke, which has similar values to our own and a strong reputation in its market for innovation and smart products.

“We have taken our time choosing a partner with whom we want to work closely for many years ahead, as our order pipeline continues to grow.

"Together with Hoppecke, we will be able to provide battery trains that are reliable and quick to market, with a rapidly increasing range.”

The Class 230 train uses Hoppecke’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) (www.hoppecke.co.uk), which means that it can take on board 1MW of energy in just 8min — enough for the train to cover 65 miles.

The train also benefits from regenerative braking. Simulations and performance data show that many non-electrified routes could be operated by Class 230 battery trains, avoiding the need to spend millions of pounds on infrastructure upgrades.

Vivarail is currently building a fleet of diesel/battery hybrid trains for the Wrexham-Bidston line, where the diesel gen-sets will be used to charge the batteries — not to power the train directly.

Designs for other types of hybrid trains exist, and a hydrogen variant is being developed.

Hoppecke specialises in power supply and energy management solutions. It carries out battery assembly, sales, rental, refurbishment and servicing.