The battery was simply an experiment for further development; they weren’t very advanced back in 2015, but now in 2022 they are much better, to the point it is highly feasible for revenue earning service. There are also plenty of sections of OHLE (especially in Scotland, where the RosCo says there is a market for them).
It's just a straight forward battery charger, picking up the current that's been stepped-down in voltage by the main transformer and then rectified to DC.
No one is going to build a brand new unit using experimental tech, once something is running well and tech developement slows then it will happen if it works.
There's been noises about East Kilbride electrification being downgraded, so no wires from Busby Junction to East Kilbride. The use of a 321 to battery charging on the wires into Glasgow is possible and given Scotrail have existing 320s, not impossible to see a market.
Although the 320’s are going to be replaced in a few years time
Because the unique UK privatised railway system relies on long term partnerships. Unfortunately we are stuck with the five year political model rather than the 21 year Chiltern franchise which delivered Evergreen 1, II and III very successfully. Electric trains need OLE and Network Rail will not commit to anything other than piecemeal or "nearly" schemes.
From Railadvent
The PEP derivatives are ~10 years older than the 319s and were not available in 2015. It's also telling that, instead of cascaded 315s, Wales opted for new build Stadler units for the Valleys electrification.
I think there could well be a market. Even that short range is enough to cover many of the gaps between the main electrified lines, especially when the MML and Leeds-York are done
When you say changing from overhead to battery do you mean switching between modes (which the original post implied) or a complete switch? The latter would seem unwise. Surely both overhead and battery would be better?
Sure, especially as there is a reasonable length under the wires after Ashfield to Queen St to recharge, and OHLE already at Anniesland too, though not to all platforms. It all depends on the capacity of the current electricity supply, of course.
Given any journey beyond the end of the wires would need to be a return journey back to the wires, surely 20-30 mile range isn't going to be sufficient?
I agree. Battery EMUs in Europe like the Stadtler Flirt AKKU seem to be standardising for guaranteed range around the 80km/50mile mark,
The Maryhill line absorbs its DMUs from WHL and Perth/Dundee/Aberdeen turns.
Looks like Vivarail and GWR will test West Ealing to Greenford (8km return) first with 231s, agreed in Feb but no confirmed date for the first test.
news.gwr.com
Alstom proved hydrogen with the Coradia I Lint in Germany, but the tanks in the roof were too high for UK, The 321/600 Breeze project proved hydrogen trains did not have to be so high and run in the UK, but Alstom and Eversholt have decided it is better to build new hydrogen powered trains based on the Aventa rather than any more conversions.
230001 will be used. It was meant to be September but was last suggested to be December.
I wonder if it will be painted into GWR livery prior to this?
I thought it was more likely a typo for “charging”...
Worth pointing out that, other than the two units now in America, Vivarail hasn't yet put any battery 230s into passenger service. The common denominator of the WMT and TfW 230s is diesel engines.
You may well be correct.
The silver colour is definitely not bare aluminium - and the diesel rafts have been fully removed from 230001.
From Glasgow COP where the train ran under battery (303032 twitter) there seems to be a lot of unpainted aluminium, so only the blue bits need repainting in green if the GWR test goes ahead in December, (but from Wikipedia looks like it still has a diesel engine just in case)
Whole host of reasons why not to.
Just to debunk this a little bit....