The Anonymous Widower

Great Western Railway Updates EHRT On Its Upcoming Operational Trial Of Fast Charge Tech

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Electric and Hybrid Rail Technology.

This is the sub-heading.

Great Western Railway’s senior program manager, Sonya Johns, speaks to Electric & Hybrid Rail Technology about the firm’s progress on developing ex-Vivarail Fast Charge technology for battery-powered trains, ahead of operational trials due to commence in 2024.

The article is a must-read as it describes the progress since First Group, acquired the assets and intellectual property of Vivarail and its Fast Charge battery train technology.

This paragraph describes the components of the Fast Charge technology.

The Fast Charge system consists of three key components: retractable charging shoe gear, which is mounted to the underframe of the train; short (4m) charging rails mounted between the underframe of the train; and the Fast Charge Battery Bank (FCBB) installed beside the track, acting as an energy buffer between the train and the grid.

This paragraph outlines the benefits of the system.

The Fast Charge system has several benefits, according to Johns, including high charging power, enabling the train to be recharged in around 10 minutes; a standard DNO connection, avoiding costly power supply upgrades; full automation, with no driver interaction required; low safety risk (the charging rails are never live unless fully covered by the train); and minimal disruption during installation, as the FCBB is manufactured offsite and the charging rails are attached to existing sleepers.

This sounds like a system, that has been designed by someone fed up with regulators saying no to innovative ideas.

Other points from the article include.

1. The shoe gear has been designed to be easily installed on any rolling stock.
2. The one-year trial of the Fast Charge technology and the Class 230 battery train on the West Ealing and Greenford line will commence in spring 2024.
3. GWR will capture and analyze data during the trial to understand how the technology performs in different conditions.

The article finishes with this paragraph.

The work, according to GWR, is part of its commitment to reduce the carbon emissions of its train fleet with a view to removing all diesel-only traction from the network by 2040, in line with the Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

Adrian Shooter would have been pleased if he was here to see it.

December 20, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Transport/Travel | Adrian Shooter, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 230 Train, FirstGroup, Great Western Railway, Greenford Branch, Innovation, Vivarail, Vivarail/GWR Fast Charge, West Ealing Station