Rail Vehicle Dispensation: Great Western Railway Class 230 Fast Charge Unit
The title of this post, is the same as that of this page on the UK Government web site.
The page is an interesting read, but I do feel, that it marks a big step on introducing the Class 230 trains on the Greenford Branch between West Ealing and Greenford stations.
I should say, that I’ve used the Class 230 trains several times and there are trains and platforms with worse passenger access problems on the UK network.
GWR Battery-Powered Trains Could Be Used In Future
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Battery-powered trains could be used more frequently after a successful trial by Great Western Railway (GWR).
These three paragraphs give more details.
The rail company says using former underground trains and a rapid-charging system has shown the technology could replace its existing diesel fleet.
The year-long trial was held in west London but the trains will eventually be rolled out in the Thames Valley.
GWR says it can now prove the concept works and hopes to take the initiative to government.
A couple of weeks ago, I used similar trains between Wrexham Central and Shotton stations, which I wrote about in Vivarail Trains And Wrexham Central Station – 6th June 2025.
The Bay Platform At Greenford Station
These pictures show Greenford station.
I have some observations to make.
Electrification
Tests for the new battery-electric train would appear to be taking place soon, but there is no electrification or Vivarail/GWR Fast Charge system.
This leads me to the conclusion, that all charging will be done at West Ealing station.
What Length Of Train That Can Be Accommodated In Platform 2 At Greenford Station?
Consider.
- The two-car Class 165 train shown in the pictures is 47 metres long.
- FirstGroup’s test Class 230 train appears from a GWR video, to be three-cars, which would make it 54.663 metres long.
- The test Class 230 train would appear to be nearly eight metres longer, than the current train that works the route.
From the pictures it appears that there is sufficient space in the platform to accommodate the longer train.
GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the sub-heading.
Great Western Railway (GWR) has begun trialling a potentially groundbreaking battery innovation called FastCharge. If the trial is successful, it is hoped that the technology could transform branch line services and accelerate the decarbonisation of the network.
This is the first paragraph.
This innovative system, which has been developed over three years, eliminates the need for diesel trains on branch lines by powering battery-operated units with ultra-rapid charging. The system boasts an impressive 2,000kW charging capacity, eight times more powerful than a Tesla Supercharger, allowing trains to fully recharge in just 3.5 minutes at West Ealing station, the trial’s first real-world location.
I took these pictures of the trial installation at West Ealing station, this morning.
Note.
- Platform 5 is used by the trains to and from Greenford station.
- Two sets of charging rails have been installed between the rails, in Platform 5.
- The rails in the charging rails could be aluminium. This would not be surprising, as it is a good electrical conductor.
- The two shorter outside charging rails could be connected together.
- The yellow parts of the charging rails are plastic, so are probably for warning purposes.
- Two white containers have been installed alongside the track.
In Great Western Railway Updates EHRT On Its Upcoming Operational Trial Of Fast Charge Tech, I described the components of the Fast Charge system in this paragraph.
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.
The charging rails are clearly visible in my images and the Fast Charge Battery Bank is probably in the white containers.
These are my thoughts.
The Engineering Is Of A High Quality
Or it certainly appears so from the platform and in the pictures, that I took.
How Much Energy Will Be Taken On Board at Each Charge At West Ealing?
According to the Rail Technology Magazine article, the Fast Charge Battery Bank will have to supply 2,000 KW for 3.5 minutes to fully-charge the train at West Ealing station.
This is 7,000 KW-minutes or 117 KWh.
In D-Train Order For Marston Vale Confirmed, this is said about the batteries on a Class 230 train.
- The train has four battery rafts, each with a capacity of 106 kWh
- Range is up to fifty miles with a ten minute charge at each end of the journey.
- Range will increase as battery technology improves.
I wonder if the Class 230 train, that will run between West Ealing and Greenford, will only have one 106 kWh battery.
- This will be less weight and therefor better acceleration.
- 117 kWh in the Fast Charge Battery Bank will be sufficient to fully-charge the single battery.
- The route is only five miles for a round trip.
I can see costs dropping.
What Batteries Will Be Used In The Fast Charge Battery Bank?
I think there are four main possibilities.
- New lithium-ion batteries
- Refurbished second-hand electric vehicle batteries
- New lead-acid batteries.
- It might be possible to use supercapacitors
Note.
- Lead-acid batteries can lose charge in cold weather.
- Supercapacitors don’t care about the weather.
- The weight of lead-acid batteries would not be a problem in a stationary application.
If there is only one battery on the train, I can see the supercapacitors handling it.
What Voltage Is Used In The Charging Rails?
Consider.
- The Vivarail Class 230 trains are built from redundant London Underground D78 Stock trains.
- The D78 Stock trains were built to run on London Underground lines, when that had voltages of 0 and 630 VDC.
- So I wouldn’t be surprised if the trains were designed around this voltage.
- If the charging rails worked at 630 VDC, then to have a 2,000kW charger, this would mean a charging current of 3175 Amps.
This would explain the fat cables connecting the charging rails to the Fast Charge Battery Bank.
An alternative voltage to use could be 3,000 VDC, as some trains are built to this voltage and therefor the electronics and transformers must be available. This would reduce the charging current to 667 Amps, which might be able to use smaller cables.
It may come down to what is convenient for the output voltage of the batteries.
Why Are There Two Sets Of Charging Rails?
They are both shown in this image.
Note.
- The two sets of charging rails are about forty metres apart.
- The Fast Charge Battery Banks are another twenty metres further on.
It’s not the layout you’d expect for running a single two-car train running every half hour.
But could it be that two separate sets of charging rails can operate a more frequent service with this layout of charging rails?
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.
- The shoe gear has been designed to be easily installed on any rolling stock.
- 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.
- 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.
Three New Battery-Only Revolution Very Light Rail Vehicles
This title of this post, is the same as that as this press release from Eversholt Rail Group.
These are the three bullet points.
- Eversholt Rail funding three brand-new Revolution Very Light Rail vehicles for passenger trials and ongoing operation.
- Manufactured in the UK by Transport Design International.
- Battery-only propulsion, providing zero-emissions operation.
These three paragraphs fill out the story.
Innovative new lightweight passenger trains that will help decarbonise Britain’s railways are to be trialled after a new deal was announced this week.
The new Revolution Very Light Rail vehicles will run entirely on battery power and could be carrying passengers within three years. A new system of lineside fast charging will mean the whole operation has zero emissions.
Some of Britain’s major rail operators are already showing interest in the RVLR vehicles as they seek to fulfil promises to make rail ‘cleaner’.
This is also said about looking for routes, to trial the new vehicles.
Eversholt Rail and TDI are working with key stakeholders across the UK rail industry to agree routes and services where operators can run passenger-carrying trials using these new vehicles. These trials will generate actual passenger demand data to support business cases for long-term deployment of RVLR vehicles as well as providing further passenger and operator feedback on their design and capabilities.
I have some thoughts and questions.
What Is The Top Speed?
A lot of questions like this are answered by this article on Rail Engineer, which is entitled Very Light Rail – A Revolution.
These can be ascertained from this comprehensive article.
- Top Speed – 65 mph
- Seats – 56
- Wheelchair space
- PRM TSI accessibility compatible
- Tare Weight – 24.8 tonnes
- USB Charging
For comparison these figures relate to a PRM-compliant Class 153 diesel train.
- Top Speed – 75 mph
- Seats – 59
- Tare Weight – 41.2 tonnes
This picture shows one of the Class 153 trains at Matlock Bath station.
There are still around thirty in service in the UK.
Can Two Revolution VLRs Run As A Two-Car Train?
From the pictures on the web, the trains have buffers and space for a coupler, so until someone says they must always run as single units, I’ll assume they can at least run as a pair.
Can A Revolution VLR Recharge Its Batteries Using Conventional 25 KVAC Overhead Electrification?
One route, that is a possibility for running using Revolution VLR must surely be the Greenford Branch, which connects to the electrified Great Western Main Line at West Ealing station.
In this and at several other places on the network, it could be easier to charge the trains using the existing overhead electrification or an extension of it.
Another possibility; the Marston Vale Line is also electrified at both Bedford and Bletchley.
In New Mobile Rail Charging Facility For Long Marston, I talked about how Siemens are developing a mobile charger, which initially will be deployed at Long Marston.
It could be very useful for efficient operation, if the batteries on a Revolution VLR could be charged in a number of places, which included conventional electrification.
If charging only happened, whilst trains were stationary, a lightweight pantograph and appropriate electrical gubbins might be sufficient.
Can A Revolution VLR Replace A Class 153 Train?
I suspect on some routes this will be possible, but on others, the speed or hill-climbing requirements might be too stiff for the lightweight train.
But, if I was designing a train like the Revolution VLR, I’d make sure it fitted as many markets as possible.
The picture was taken at Matlock Bath station on the Derwent Valley Line, which is a single track with a fifty mph limit and an uphill climb. I suspect that the Revolution VLR would be designed to handle the uphill part of the route, but would the train be able to handle the speed of the Midland Main Line to Derby.
The Revolution VLR would probably attract more passengers, so it might be necessary to double up the service by running a pair.
Can A Pair Of Revolution VLRs Replace A Class 150 Train?
I don’t see why not!
Could The West London Orbital Use Revolution VLRs?
This might be a proposed route that could use Revolution VLRs.
The two routes would be.
- West Hampstead and Hounslow.
- Hendon and Kew Bridge.
Both services would use the Dudding Hill Line and serve Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common and Acton, with a frequency of four trains per hour (tph).
Although this service could be run using conventional multiple units, it might be more affordable to use Revolution VLRs charged on sections of line that are already electrified.
Could the Greenford Branch Use Revolution VLRs?
The Greenford Branch would be a classic application and trains could be charged by fitting a charger in the bay platform at West Ealing station.
In An Automated Shuttle Train On The Greenford Branch Line, I did a rough calculation to see if an automated shuttle could achieve four tph.
Four tph might be too ambitious, but automatic trains shuttling along a branch line might be an affordable way to provide zero-carbon trains with an adequate capacity.
- The driver would drive the train using the sort of remote control used for drones.
- The driver would sit in a convenient place on the train, with CCTV to help them see everything.
- When the train was ready to leave, the driver would push a button to tell the train to move to the next station.
- On arrival at the next station, the doors will open.
- The process would repeat along the line.
If this method of operation sounds vaguely familiar, the Victoria Line has used it since 1067.
Although the Victoria Line drivers always sit in the front.
But on a line with no other trains running at the same time, all they need is a good view of the doors.
Branch lines that could be run in this way could include.
Bodmin Parkway and Bodmin General
Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier
Grove Park and Bromley North
Lancaster and Morecambe
Liskeard and Looe
Lostwithiel and Powey
Maidenhead and Marlow
March and Wisbech
Par and Newquay
Plymouth and Gunnislake
Romford and Upminster
Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea
Slough and Windsor Central
Southall and Brentford
St. Erth and St. Ives
Truro and Falmouth Docks
Twyford and Henley-on-Thames
Watford Junction and St. Albans Abbey
West Ealing and Greenford
Wickford and Southminster
Wymondham and Dereham
The Vivarail Fast Charge System At West Ealing – 7th November 2022
I went to West Ealing station today and took these pictures.
At last, it seems something is happening.
Note the concrete pads on the other side of the track for the bay platform. There appear to be eight pads, which could be to support the containers that will hold the Vivarail Fast Charge System.
So Many Cases On A Train!
This afternoon about three, I went to West Ealing station to see what it was like to transfer between the Elizabeth Line Central Tunnel and the Western Branch at Paddington.
Coming back, I took an Elizabeth Line service that had started from Heathrow Airport and it was one of the busiest Lizzies, I’d ever ridden!
To get on the train at West Ealing station, I got in to probably coach 4 of 9, as that was in the dry and the back end of the train I needed for Moorgate station was certainly in the wet.
I then had to walk half the length of the train to get to the back of the train.
It was not easy, as the train was full of scores of passengers with large wheelie cases.
This got me thinking.
Are Passengers Transferring To The Lizzie Line?
And especially those with large cases. that are the sort you could use for bringing in a pair of folded-up contortionists.
- These cases don’t fit well on the Piccadilly Line, which has only a few step-free stations.
- From what I’ve seen cases are easily wheeled to Elizabeth Line platforms at Heathrow.
- Many of these cases won’t fit in the average family car.
- All parking is expensive at Heathrow, whether it is short, medium or long.
- Valet parking at Heathrow has been devalued by all the scam artists.
- Taxis are the province of those that own oil wells, hedge funds or belong to the highest wunch of bankers.
- Pick-up and drop-off is now very expensive.
- There were a good proportion of couples, who were both dragging or pushing a massive case.
- The Elizabeth Line is cheaper than the Heathrow Express.
- The Elizabeth Line like the Piccadilly Line allows the use of a bank card as a ticket.
- Only the Elizabeth and Piccadilly Lines take you direct to dozens of stations with only same-platform interchanges.
- The Elizabeth Line has step-free interchanges with the Bakerloo, Circle, District, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, and Metropolitan Lines, the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground.
- Whitechapel has been turned into a major transport hub for the Easternmost part of London.
There seems to be quite a few reasons why a traveller going to or from Heathrow might at least try the Elizabeth Line.
And travellers seemed to be doing it in droves today!
Were Upmarket Passengers Using The Lizzie Line?
Take the couple next to me on the train from West Ealing.
- Around sixty.
- Very well-dressed.
- Possibly Mediterranean or South American.
- Matching medium-size wheelie-cases.
- She was wearing expensive glasses.
A couple of years ago, they would have probably used the Heathrow Express.
They certainly weren’t the only passengers, who looked like archetypal Heathrow Express passengers.
Will The Lizzie Line Take Passengers From The Piccadilly Line?
As the cost will be the same, I suspect the answer will be yes.
Although, there will be groups of travellers, who will probably remain loyal to the Piccadilly Line.
- If you were going to or from the step-free Cockfosters or Oakwood, with a heavy case, all the way on the Piccadilly Line could be a simple sensible option. I used to live near Oakwood station and remember several long trips on the Piccadilly Line, but not too Heathrow.
- The step-free Kings Cross St. Pancras, Green Park, Knightsbridge and Earls Court may well have reasons to keep their regular passengers.
- Those only travelling a few stops to or from Heathrow will probably stay with the Piccadilly Line for convenience.
- Transport for London have been adding step-free access to the Heathrow Branch and this will surely promote use.
The Piccadilly Line is also getting new trains in a few years.
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway, I talked about a proposal to turnback some Piccadilly Line trains at Ealing Broadway station.
I think it is a good idea, as it could make it simpler for Piccadilly Line passengers to access Heathrow and reduce congestion on the Piccadilly Line.
Will The Lizzie Line Take Passengers From The Heathrow Express?
This is an extract from Extending The Elizabeth Line – Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway
It will be difficult to predict what will happen to Heathrow Express, but I suspect several groups of passengers will desert it.
- Passengers wanting to go anywhere East of Paddington without changing trains.
- Passengers wanting any Elizabeth Line station.
- Passengers, who don’t like the prices of Heathrow Express.
- Passengers using Oyster or contactless cards.
- Passengers who want to ride on London’s spectacular new Elizabeth Line.
After Old Oak Common station is opened for High Speed Two, the numbers could further decrease.
Will Heathrow Express survive?
Will The Lizzie Line Attract Passengers Who Usually Drive?
Large swathes of the country already have single-change step-free access to the Elizabeth Line.
- All services out of Liverpool Street and/or Stratford.
- All services out of Moorgate.
- All Thameslink services through Farringdon.
- All services out of Paddington.
- All services through Abbey Wood.
- When Crossrail to Ebbsfleet (C2E) opens, this will add all services through Gravesend and Ebbsfleet.
- When High Speed Two opens, this will add all services through Old Oak Common.
- When the Western Rail Approach To Heathrow is completed, this will add all services through Reading.
If you can get a train direct to the Elizabeth Line network and then a train direct to your terminal, would you seriously want all the hassle of parking after a two hour drive?
I can see parking at Heathrow suffering a severe lack of demand.
Conclusion
Lizzie will start a revolution in travel to and from Heathrow.
The Vivarail Fast Charge System At West Ealing – 4th May 2022
This article on Rail Business UK is entitled UK Railway News Round-Up.
This is the first section.
Vivarail has awarded Sella Controls a contract to supply of Tracklink III Readers and beacons for GWR’s Class 230 battery train fast charging trial on the Greenford branch. As the train enters the station one beacon will initiate the deployment of the train collectors for charging, and another beacon will trigger the charging process when the train is in the correct position.
I went to West Ealing station today and took these pictures.
Note.
- The bay platform is Platform 5.
- I couldn’t see any signs of any Tracklink III Readers.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to find that two Class 230 trains could fit in Platform 5.
I took these pictures of the station in April 2021.
It does appear by comparing the pictures, that the biggest change is that the area on the far side of the track in Platform 5, which has been cleared.
Battery Train And Fast Charger To Be Tested In London
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Great Western Railway has signed an agreement to test Vivarail’s Class 230 battery multiple-unit and fast charging technology under real-world conditions on the 4 km non-electrified branch between West Ealing and Greenford in West London.
As an engineer, who started designing control systems for rolling mills in the mid-1960s and went on to get a Degree in Control and Electrical Engineering from Liverpool University, before working for ICI applying computers to a variety of problems, I can’t look at a railway line like the Greenford Branch without wanting to automate it.
I had one amateurish attempt in An Automated Shuttle Train On The Greenford Branch Line. I was trying to get four trains per hour (tph) on the branch and I don’t think that is possible, with the Class 230 trains.
Now we know the train we are dealing with, I could plan an automated system, that would drive the train.
- Each journey on the branch takes around 11-12 minutes.
- Two tph would take between 44 and 48 minutes shuttling between the two stations in an hour.
- The article states that recharging takes ten minutes.
- If the train charged the batteries once per hour, that would leave between two and six minutes for the other three stops.
- Any freight train using the branch seems to take about six minutes, so they could sneak through, when the shuttle is having a fast charge.
- I would also use a similar system to that originally used on the Victoria Line. After the driver has closed the doors and ascertained that there were no problems, they would press a button to move the train to the next station and then automatically open the doors.
From this rough calculation to run a two tph service, I suspect that the train needs to be able to go between West Ealing and Greenford stations in ten minutes. Assuming one ten minute Fast Charge per hour, this would give three minutes and twenty seconds to turn the train, at the three terminal station stops.
I certainly feel, that an automatic shuttle would be possible.
The Anonymous Widower 