Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 13:35 28 Mar 2024
* Man held over stabbing in front of train passengers
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Formal end to carrying coffins by BR (link)

Train RunningCancelled
11:23 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
12:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
13:26 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
13:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
12:42 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
12:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:07 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:26 Okehampton to Exeter Central
14:05 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
Delayed
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:29 Weymouth to Gloucester
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
12:27 Okehampton to Exeter Central
12:28 Plymouth to Gunnislake
12:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 13:36:08 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[142] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[80] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[56] Return of the BRUTE?
[46] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[43] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[34] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Tenders for a trial of a battery powered train, from West Ealing to Greenford  (Read 3429 times)
RichT54
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 130


View Profile
« on: June 14, 2021, 15:59:47 »

https://procurement.gwr.com/tenders/12-tenders/gwr-notice/55-great-western-railway-fast-charging-battery-train-trial

Quote
Opportunity Overview

Great Western Railway (GWR (Great Western Railway)) is seeking is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers for a trial to prove the capability of a battery powered train, supported by fast charging equipment, to safely and reliably operate passenger services on a non-electrified branch line (West Ealing-Greenford), for a period of at least one year. This trial will support the objectives of the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy and will be delivered with the support of Network Rail and the Department for Transport.

The route from West Ealing to Greenford is 2¾ miles of mostly double track railway and is served by a two car Turbo stopping at all stations. Trains are Driver Only Operated using a combination of CCTV (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), mirrors and look back during train despatch. The shortest platforms on the route that the train will need to serve, are at Castle Bar Park, and are 47.5m and 47.6m long. GWR does not operate trains without toilets on board.

The maximum line speed is 40 mph and the timetabled journey is 12 minutes.  The normal service is half hourly necessitating minimum dwells at intermediate stations and quick turnarounds at each terminus. A half-hourly service between current first and last trains on the Greenford branch is 33 round trips, a total distance of 165 miles (264km) per day.

We wish to procure the lease of a single train and associated charging equipment, for a trial operating period from April 2022 to March 2023, with the possibility of extension subject to performance. The charging equipment will be required to be installed by the supplier to the bay platform at West Ealing station under Network Rail supervision (noting Greenford station is operated by LUL (London Underground Ltd) and space-constrained).

We anticipate that servicing and light maintenance of the train will be undertaken by GWR at West Ealing EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) sidings, while heavy maintenance will remain the responsibility of the supplier. Maintenance of the charging equipment will be the responsibility of the supplier under the supervision of Network Rail.

We intend to operate the battery powered train in passenger service from 1/4/22 to 31/3/23 as a minimum. Subject to performance criteria being met we expect to extend the trial for up to a further [two years to March 2025].

Description of the procurement

In addition to the description above, we will require the train and charging equipment to be delivered to the GWR network at West Ealing by the supplier.

Duration of Contract ie Start and End

December 2021 – March 2023 with possibility of extension subject to performance.
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2021, 17:28:25 »

Sounds interesting, and should be entirely doable with available technology.
A few questions,
How is the charging supply to be connected ? Conductor rail is the obvious choice. centrally placed and interlocked so as to reduce the risk of accident.
For how many hours a day is the service to run ? and therefore what opportunity to charge overnight.

Is the stock to be air conditioned ?

I see a future for battery powered trains, for branch lines and secondary services and that that this trial goes ahead.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
RichT54
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 130


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2021, 17:38:09 »

Given the short time-frame before the proposed start of the trial, what existing units could be used or quickly adapted for this?
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2021, 17:45:35 »

Vivarail is the only obvious possibility that I can think of given the maximum length of train allowed.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7155


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2021, 19:34:49 »

I wonder how far you'd get using supercapacitors. I mean that literally - how may km on one charge.

If Alstom in Nice (and others elsewhere) can charge a tram in 20 s to get to the next stop, something a bit beefier should get a couple of light heavy rail vehicles along one of those short hops. The requirement as written would not allow that, which is a shame. OK, it may be possible to do rather further on one charge, but I doubt if a full round trip is yet possible. And using actual trams is presumably ruled out by the platform heights.

It's a particular pity because "fast charging" is the key factor in this trial.
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2021, 19:50:00 »

Super capacitors do not store enough energy to move a train or other vehicle any significant distance.
The merit of supercapacitors is that the limited energy store can be released very quickly. Useful for cranking internal combustion engines and for similar applications.

A supercapacitor module able to store one kwh has recently become available, it is the size of a large cupboard and costs as much as  a small house.

A lead acid battery to store one KWH costs under £100 and is just about portable.

A lithium battery to store one kwh costs few hundred pounds and is readily portable.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2021, 20:03:20 »

Fleabay link to large supercapacitor module.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113231410897?hash=item1a5d1e36d1:g:2CsAAOSw2kVbjOCY

£700 each and store 70 watt hours. 150 of these would store about one KWH.
150 would cost about £100,000.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page