LONDON: Hitachi, a north-east train builder, is planning to introduce battery trains in the UK after making a success of them in Japan.
Bosses at Hitachi, who are based in Newton Aycliffe, say they are “working hard to secure our first order” for the battery trains, which will reduce carbon emissions and make stations and communities cleaner environments.
Giving research to the Transport Select Committee inquiry into ‘trains fit for the future’, the company say this proven battery technology shows that the Government does not need to make a binary choice between electrification and diesel trains.
Battery power can provide the bridging technology, and in time, replace diesel trains more and more as battery range increases. It would also allow the Government to be more ambitious in achieving the ‘no diesel by 2040’ goal, according to Hitachi.
By 2021 there will be 286 Hitachi trains carrying passengers across the UK. This is approximately 11 percent of the UK’s total trains.
Earlier this summer, bosses at Hitachi welcomed being awarded a new £400m contract but warned they still require another significant order to secure their long-term future.
(Agencies)
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