The Anonymous Widower

25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration

This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.

In this document, this is said about the project.

Project No: 10037158

Project title: 25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration
Lead organisation: SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITED
Project grant: £59,910

Public description: The UK rail industry is committed to decarbonisation, including the removal of diesel trains by 2040.

Replacing diesel trains with electric, hydrogen or battery bi-mode rolling stock provides faster, smoother and more reliable journeys, as well as eliminating local pollution and greatly reducing carbon dioxide. To enable clean, green electric bi-mode operation without continuous electrification requires enhancement of the power supply to existing electrification and novel charging facilities to support bi-mode trains. No small, low-cost solution is currently available for charging facilities that are compatible with standard UK trains and locally available power supplies and space.

Siemens Mobility, working with ROSCO, TOCs and Network Rail, will deliver a novel AC charging solution enabling simple installation of small, low-cost rapid charging facilities fed from existing standard local power supply cables. Compatible with all OLE-powered trains, the novel design enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on non-electrified routes across the UK, while minimising land requirements and modifications required to existing station structures.

My Thoughts And Conclusion

Consider.

• The solution works with all 25 KVAC trains.
• It looks like it is a compact overhead electrification system, which might have originally been designed for a European tram or German S-Bahn system.
• It is claimed to be low-cost.
• Siemens were not asking for a lot of money.
• ROSCO, TOCs and Network Rail are all involved, which must be good.

It looks to me, that someone at Siemens has raided the parts bin and found some small, low-cost overhead electrification, that can be installed in the UK gauge and powered by a fairly standard mains supply.

It strikes me, that this system would be ideal to install in a station like Marylebone, if services to the station were to be run by battery-electric trains.

November 17, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Charging Battery Trains, Discontinuous Electrification, First Of A Kind 2022, Innovate UK, Marylebone Station, Siemens