First ever battery train?

[Rescars]

The press today (31/1/26) is full of stories about Britain's first ever 100% battery powered train operating from this weekend on the Greenford branch. Really? What no recognition for BR's 100% battery powered BEMU that ran on the Ballater branch from 1958, became test train "Gemini" and is now preserved on the Royal Deeside Railway? Not forgetting the Great Southern Railway in Ireland with its Drumm railcars dating back to 1930. This pair achieved significant mileage - over 1.5 million miles between 1930 and 1935 apparently.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Rapid charging is indeed new, but reliable battery electric passenger units have been around for almost a century!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Generally reckoned to be Davidson’s switched reluctance electric locomotive experiments on the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway around 1837-1840. (These were not commercially successful.)

 

[62484GlenLyon]

Greenford is within the orbit of the London-centric media world. Ballater, the Republic of Ireland and the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway are the far side of the Moon by comparison.

 

[D365]

I have observed at least one of the Vivarail/GWR engineers [via their personal LinkedIn profile] acknowledging that 230001 is indeed not the first battery-electric passenger carrying vehicle in Britain.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The locomotives on the Hythe Pier tramway were built in 1917 for use in a munitions factory, and converted from battery operation to 3rd rail in 1922 when they moved to the pier. They were still running in 2024, when the service was suspended whilst funding is sought to repair the pier.

 

[PeterC]

I did hear one report add the words "... with fast charging".

 

[AlterEgo]

The press today (31/1/26) is full of stories about Britain's first ever 100% battery powered train operating from this weekend on the Greenford branch. Really? What no recognition for BR's 100% battery powered BEMU that ran on the Ballater branch from 1958, became test train "Gemini" and is now preserved on the Royal Deeside Railway? Not forgetting the Great Southern Railway in Ireland with its Drumm railcars dating back to 1930. This pair achieved significant mileage - over 1.5 million miles between 1930 and 1935 apparently.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Rapid charging is indeed new, but reliable battery electric passenger units have been around for almost a century!

The GSR in Ireland has nothing to do with the question of *Britain's* first ever battery powered trains.

 

[birchesgreen]

First ever battery train was Galvani in 1842 of course.

 

[RPM]

Plenty of narrow gauge battery locos have been used in passenger service on heritage/tourist lines for years.

 

[N1]

Rail advent have a slightly different reason on why it is the first battery train in the UK. Debut for UK’s first battery-only train confirmed

The Class 230 is the ‘UK’s First Battery-Only’ train. Previous attempts have included a Derby-built 2-car unit that used batteries. However, the Derby 2-car used a Webasto oil-burning air heater.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Battery trains are nothing new, I must have at least a couple dozen in my house

Albeit I don't think a type C battery is comparable to 230001's.

 

[AlterEgo]

Rail advent have a slightly different reason on why it is the first battery train in the UK. Debut for UK’s first battery-only train confirmed

Desperate stuff for a headline.

 

[Rescars]

The GSR in Ireland has nothing to do with the question of *Britain's* first ever battery powered trains.

Of course you are correct. But the Drumm units proved the concept in a main line setting. They were very successful I believe, continuing in traffic until after the end of WW2. AIUI the cars ended their days as steam hauled stock after their life-expired batteries had been removed.

 

[ThirteenArches]

Plus *Britain* being only 90-odd years behind the Irish. The batteries (zinc-nickel) must have been very sound, they lasted over 5 years after the company that made them went bust due to the war (or Emergency).

 

[Taunton]

Rail advent have a slightly different reason on why it is the first battery train in the UK. Debut for UK’s first battery-only train confirmed , The Class 230 is the ‘UK’s First Battery-Only’ train. Previous attempts have included a Derby-built 2-car unit that used batteries. However, the Derby 2-car used a Webasto oil-burning air heater.

Well it didn't in the summer ...

Incidentally, I came past West Ealing last week, the battery unit was parked up in the sidings west of the station, where it has been for the last couple of years on every occasion I have seen it. Diesel running the branch.

 

[Rescars]

There seems to be a longstanding issue with railcars and heating. IIRC the GWR's diesel railcars were fitted with steam heating boilers after the initial arrangements relying on surplus heat from the traction system proved unreliable. Here's hoping similar issues don't challenge the power capacity of 230001.

 

[N1]

There seems to be a longstanding issue with railcars and heating. IIRC the GWR's diesel railcars were fitted with steam heating boilers after the initial arrangements relying on surplus heat from the traction system proved unreliable. Here's hoping similar issues don't challenge the power capacity of 230001.

Its an interesting one, always seems to concern many greatly. DB 515s had resistive electric heating, and the range did drop in winter, but they still kept them long enough.

Bad reporting isn't just a British issue. Plenty of both English and German language sites reported the reintroduction of battery trains in Germany in 2023 as the first battery trains. Couldn't even remember back 30 years to 1995 when 515s were withdrawn.

Modern BEMUs will have a HVAC system where, if properly designed and installed, will be operating at a seasonal Coefficient of Performance of at least 3, so less of a drain on range.

 

[Taunton]

There seems to be a longstanding issue with railcars and heating. IIRC the GWR's diesel railcars were fitted with steam heating boilers after the initial arrangements relying on surplus heat from the traction system proved unreliable. Here's hoping similar issues don't challenge the power capacity of 230001.

The issues with the GWR cars were that the first ones were based on 1930s AEC bus power trains, which in those times did not have heating of the vehicles at all (something occasionally found even nowadays!), and when eventually overcome they were enhanced to haul trailers, often conventional carriages, which had no heat supply of their own.

When BR Modernisation plan dmus came along, half the cars being trailers, the same issues of course arose. I don't know how Germany did it, where from 1950s to 1980s there were extensive fleets of battery railbuses, sometimes formed up into lengthy trains, in both West Germany and surprisingly similar looking cars on the GDR railways.

In Ireland on short branch lines from the 1960s, some a single carriage hauled by a small shunting locomotive with no train supply, they installed Night Storage Heaters, maybe familiar to some here from a past generation in houses, charged overnight but where you had to predict the heat required in advance of the following day.

 

[Rescars]

In Ireland on short branch lines from the 1960s, some a single carriage hauled by a small shunting locomotive with no train supply, they installed Night Storage Heaters, maybe familiar to some here from a past generation in houses, charged overnight but where you had to predict the heat required in advance of the following day.

Night storage heaters were also a feature in certain BR offices, as some may recall. In some locations it was customary for secretaries going to take dictation to bring a cushion with them so they could perch in comfort on an adjacent heater within earshot of their boss.

The need for prediction about heating demand is interesting. The BR General Appendix, although allowing guards and others some modest discretion, does specify the precise calendar dates between which steam heating was expected to be in operation.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Well it didn't in the summer ...

Incidentally, I came past West Ealing last week, the battery unit was parked up in the sidings west of the station, where it has been for the last couple of years on every occasion I have seen it. Diesel running the branch.

The battery unit entered passenger service yesterday. Initially only on Saturdays.

 

[Taunton]

The battery unit entered passenger service yesterday. Initially only on Saturdays.

Well it was last Saturday that I saw it.

But hey ho, after 2 years since delivery, and goodness knows how many years since it was initially rebuilt, it now runs on one day a week ...

 

[Rescars]

Well it was last Saturday that I saw it.

But hey ho, after 2 years since delivery, and goodness knows how many years since it was initially rebuilt, it now runs on one day a week ...

An interesting interpretation of rapid charging.....!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Well it was last Saturday that I saw it.

You may well have seen it before 31st, as it has been doing test runs on the branch for most of January. But its first day in revenue-earning passenger service was January 31st

 

[LickeyIncliner]

In Ireland on short branch lines from the 1960s, some a single carriage hauled by a small shunting locomotive with no train supply, they installed Night Storage Heaters, maybe familiar to some here from a past generation in houses, charged overnight but where you had to predict the heat required in advance of the following day.

Familiar indeed, I'm sitting next to just such a heater and need to think about tomorrow's weather. And BTW I don't mind being referred to as one of the older generation, but the "past generation" ... please!!

 

[341o2]

The locomotives on the Hythe Pier tramway were built in 1917 for use in a munitions factory, and converted from battery operation to 3rd rail in 1922 when they moved to the pier. They were still running in 2024, when the service was suspended whilst funding is sought to repair the pier.

One of the Amberley museum's battery locomotives, the one dating from 1917, visited the pier on a fundraising day.
Battery locomotives are used for mine railways
London Transport has (or had) a number of battery locomotives for pw and other work when the current needs to be switched off.
For battery operated model railways, anyone else remember the Triang Big Big railway?

 

[dgl]

Don't also forget about the Souther Region's MLV, Motor Luggage Vans. Whilst not designed to be used solely on batteries for any length of time they were still able to move on battery power alone.

 

[etr221]

Its an interesting one, always seems to concern many greatly. DB 515s had resistive electric heating, and the range did drop in winter, but they still kept them long enough.

Bad reporting isn't just a British issue. Plenty of both English and German language sites reported the reintroduction of battery trains in Germany in 2023 as the first battery trains. Couldn't even remember back 30 years to 1995 when 515s were withdrawn.

The DB ETA 150 (became 515) and ETA 176 (517) types of the 1950s were very much 'modern' second generation battery railcars (Akku Triebwagen) on German railways. Their earliest dated from the 1880s and 90s, and while these may have been someawhat experimental, a significant number were built in the decade leading up to the first World War - some of which, suitably modernised, lasted into the 1960s.

 

[The exile]

When BR Modernisation plan dmus came along, half the cars being trailers, the same issues of course arose. I don't know how Germany did it, where from 1950s to 1980s there were extensive fleets of battery railbuses, sometimes formed up into lengthy trains, in both West Germany and surprisingly similar looking cars on the GDR railways.

Don’t think think the DDR had battery units.

 

[N1]

Don’t think think the DDR had battery units.

They didn't build any of their own, but inherited some from pre-WW2. They didn't last very long as they couldn't even afford to replace the batteries when they needed renewing.

 

[The exile]

They didn't build any of their own, but inherited some from pre-WW2. They didn't last very long as they couldn't even afford to replace the batteries when they needed renewing.

Right - suspect that what @Taunton is thinking of is the Ferkeltaxi railbuses which were diesel.