Towards Realising Accelerated Innovation in Novel (TRAIN) Battery Technologies

Viva rail has produced a proof of concept hybrid train which has been shown to be reliable, energy efficient and cost effective. This work was self-funded and delivered in a very timely and effective way. The TRAIN project will be delivered in a similar way with close cooperation between the partners. Vivarail and our partners Petalite and Valence, provide lightweight versatile cost-effective rail solutions including units that can run as DMU (diesel multiple unit), EMU (electric multiple unit), battery, or battery hybrid depending on power supplies available. Battery technology will incorporate advances from other sectors. The TRAIN project will develop innovative rapid charging technology and static energy storage to exploit low-rate cheap energy for high-rate charging. Two battery modules hang under each carriage and operate independently or in conjunction with other energy sources (electric). The solution provides significant operational savings, CO2 and noise reductions, and reduces maintenance demands to minimise out-of-service time. This project will fully develop innovative designs and validate them for production. Outputs include: Modular battery pack to suit specific applications; Rapid charging unit operating at approximately 600V; Integration of hardware/software; Static charging evaluation; Test train with prototype technologies: Duty cycle demonstrations and performance assessment.