OREANDA-NEWS. The Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) was recognised as a cross-industry collaboration between RSSB, Network Rail, Abellio Greater Anglia, Bombardier and the Department for Transport, which saw the concept of a battery-powered train successfully trialled over a five-week period in passenger service.

News of the award can be found on the Bombardier website.

Providing an update on the battery-powered train project since initial trials between Harwich International and Manningtree, Network Rail’s principal engineer James Ambrose added: “We are continuing to rigorously test the IPEMU battery technology at our facility in Mannheim, Germany, and are working very closely with the DfT and our partners, looking at plans for safety and implementation. There’s been global interest in this project and we aim to provide a detailed, technical report at the end of the year.”

Network Rail owns, manages and develops Britain’s railway – the 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and viaducts, and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations (the largest of which we also run). In partnership with train operators we help people take more than 1.6bn journeys by rail every year - double the number of 1996 - and move hundreds of millions of tonnes of freight, saving almost 8m lorry journeys. We’re investing ?38bn in the railway by 2019 to deliver more frequent, more reliable, safer services and brighter and better stations.