The Greenford branch line has become the first place in the UK to see a battery-only powered train enter passenger service, after Great Western Railway (GWR) introduced the technology on the route on Saturday (31 January 2026).
A Class 230 battery-electric train began operating on the West Ealing to Greenford line on Saturday, replacing a diesel unit. The first scheduled passenger service left West Ealing at 05:30. For now, the train is due to run on Saturdays only, with the potential for additional services to be added later in the year as performance data is gathered.
The move follows a 22-month trial of fast-charge battery technology on the same branch line. GWR said the programme included technical testing and safety assessments to understand how battery-electric operation performs in a passenger railway environment, particularly on routes without overhead electrification.
During testing, the train set a world record for the longest distance travelled by a battery-electric train on a single charge, covering 200.5 miles.
GWR’s engineering director, Dr Simon Green, said: “Delivering the train into passenger service will enable us to gain further insight which can be fed into our own decarbonisation plans, as well as those of the wider rail industry.”
Network Rail supported the project through its Western route, including installing fast-charge battery banks. Its Western route director, Marcus Jones, said: “This represents a major step forward for sustainable rail travel in Britain.”
