Battery Class 230 Train Demonstration At Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway
I went to Vivarail‘s demonstration of battery version of the Class 230 train, which was given at the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway.
For some pictures of the original D78 Stock see Raw Material For A New Train.
So what did I think of the train?
Build Quality
From what I saw, the build quality was certainly better than that of a Pacer, which these trains could replace on some routes.
Doors
The single-leaf doors are unusual, as most London Underground stock, only has these at the ends of the cars.
But they worked successfully for nearly forty years of heavy service on the District Line, so they are probably up to the lesser rigours of service outside the Capital.
London Underground Legacy
I talked with one of the Vivarail engineers and he said, that the trains had been retired with a lot of new parts and he pointed out the quality f the floors, some of which go back decades.
It certainly seemed, that the trains could be described as having One Careful Owner.
Noise Levels
Noise levels were low, but then they were in the Class 379 BEMU, that I rode in January 2015.
Intriguingly, both trains have the same batteries, but that has nothing to do with it.
Ride
The quality of the ride was good and very much up to the standard of the S Stock that replaced the D78 Stock on the District Line.
Seats
As the pictures show, the seats of the Class 230 train are based on those of those in the D78 Stock.
The seats in the new train weren’t hard and seemed to my memory to be about the same standard as those in the older train.
So perhaps they were!
Vivarail are offering the train with different interiors, so I suspect those that pay, will get what they want.
Toilets
This train was not fitted with a toilet, but Vivarail will be fitting them to some trains.
USB Ports
There is a USB port between the seats and I was able to charge my phone, as one picture shows.
Conclusion
I think it is true to say, that this battery Class 230 train was a good start.
With more new components like seats, tables and toilets they could be impressive.
The Anonymous Widower 
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