As of last Sunday, December 15th, 31 Mireo Plus B trains, built using state-of-the-art battery technology, have begun running in the Brandenburg metropolitan region of Berlin, Germany.

These trains are cousins to the British Desiro Verve trains, which are currently on order with Siemens and due to be assembled in the UK in Goole at the recently opened Siemens Mobility’s Train Manufacturing Facility.

This type of Battery technology made its debut in April when the first of 27 trains were tested in the Ortenau region of Germany.

The Mireo Plus B and Desiro Verve trains use the same technology for running off battery power, though the main difference between these two classes of trains is how their batteries are charged.

The British trains (Desiro Verve) will be able to run using overhead wires which will also charge the train’s batteries, and would switch to battery power in areas without wires.

This would enable smaller sections of routes or specific stations would still need to be electrified with overhead line equipment (OLE), to ensure that batteries can still be topped up or charged, especially on longer journeys that involve a train travelling over a non-electrified route.

This option is less disruptive when it comes to the replacement of diesel compared to the full electrification, of non-electrified lines.

Instead of taking the best part of 7 years or more to install full overhead line equipment along a non-electrified line, only a smaller section, or sections of line would need to have wires installed, which would take as little as 18 months to install.

This is due to advancing technology which now means it is possible to plug overhead lines directly into the domestic grid with the use of a Rail Charging Converter (RCC).

As the UK prepares to replace its diesel trains, the successful deployment of Siemens Mobility battery trains in Europe heralds a promising diesel-free future for Britain.

The introduction of Desiro Verve battery bi-mode trains on UK tracks would facilitate cleaner, more reliable and sustainable rail travel.

Back in June, Siemens Mobility revealed that the Desiro Verve could potentially save Britain’s railways £3.5 billion over a span of 35 years when compared to using tri-mode diesel-battery-electric trains. This initiative would align with the Government’s objective of eliminating diesel-only trains from Britain’s railways by 2040.

“It’s fantastic to see the innovative technology that will underpin our British Desiro Verve trains already being put into action. The completion of these latest journeys demonstrates that the technology for our British battery trains is here, is working and is ready to transform rail travel.

The Desiro Verve would be assembled at our state-of-the-art Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire and offers an integrated solution to replace Britain’s aging diesel trains without having to electrify hundreds of miles of track, saving the country £3.5 billion over 35 years and providing a practical path to decarbonising British railways.”

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility UK & Ireland