The British Rail Class 230 ''D-Train'' is a
diesel-electric multiple unit,
diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...
-
battery electric multiple unit
A battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), battery electric railcar or accumulator railcar is an electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy can be supplied from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors.
Prime advantages of ...
or
battery electric multiple unit
A battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), battery electric railcar or accumulator railcar is an electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy can be supplied from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors.
Prime advantages of ...
built by rolling stock manufacturer
Vivarail
Vivarail was a British rolling stock manufacturer, founded in 2012 and based in Southam, Warwickshire. Vivarail's main project was the conversion of retired London Underground D78 Stock into two new classes for National Rail services. It was l ...
for the British rail network. The units are converted from old
London Underground D78 Stock
The London Underground D78 Stock, commonly referred to as D Stock, was a type of sub-surface rolling stock which operated on the District line of the London Underground, except on the Wimbledon station, Wimbledon to Edgware Road tube station (C ...
, originally manufactured in 1980 by
Metro-Cammell
Metro-Cammell, formally the Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company (MCCW), was an English manufacturer of railway carriages, locomotives and railway wagons, based in Saltley, and subsequently Washwood Heath, in Birmingham. The co ...
, and have been assigned the designation of Class 230 under
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom.
TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), ...
.
The conversion re-uses the D78's aluminium bodyshells with new interiors. It runs on the same bogies but these are rebuilt to as-new standard by
Wabtec
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, commonly known as Wabtec, is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) and MotivePower in 1999. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Wab ...
and fitted with brand-new
three-phase
Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3ϕ) is a common type of alternating current (AC) used in electricity generation, Electric power transmission, transmission, and Electric power distribution, distribution. It is a type of polyphase system ...
AC induction motors sourced from Austria. The initial build of three vehicles for London Northwestern Railway replaces the four-rail traction-current system with four diesel gen-sets, driving eight traction motors via purpose-built electronic traction control units. In this configuration, every wheel is driven and all are braked by a computer-controlled blended reactive/pneumatic braking system, allowing for optimum braking performance in all weather conditions.
In August 2016, a prototype was produced for testing and accreditation; the type was planned to be prepared to enter passenger service during the following year. During July 2016, it was announced that the prototype was to be tested in mainline service on the
Coventry to Nuneaton Line over a 12-month period with operator
London Midland
London Midland was a train operating company in England which operated the West Midlands franchise between 11 November 2007 and 10 December 2017. It was owned by the British transport group Govia.
London Midland was created as a result of Gov ...
; however, this trial deployment had to be postponed after the prototype was damaged by a fire and could not be repaired quickly enough.
It is proposed that up to 75 units may be converted, with each unit consisting of two or three cars. During October 2017,
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a British train operating company. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trading names: within the West Midlands region as West Midlands Rai ...
announced that it would procure three 2-car D-Trains for the
Marston Vale line
The Marston Vale line is the line between and in England, a surviving remnant of the former Varsity Line between and , most of which was closed in the late 1960s. The line is sponsored by the Marston Vale community rail partnership. The line ...
and the first unit entered service in April 2019.
[ ]Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
' units started passenger service on the Borderlands line on 3 April 2023.
History
During November 2014, Vivarail
Vivarail was a British rolling stock manufacturer, founded in 2012 and based in Southam, Warwickshire. Vivarail's main project was the conversion of retired London Underground D78 Stock into two new classes for National Rail services. It was l ...
purchased 150 driving motor cars and 300 carriages of London Underground D78 Stock
The London Underground D78 Stock, commonly referred to as D Stock, was a type of sub-surface rolling stock which operated on the District line of the London Underground, except on the Wimbledon station, Wimbledon to Edgware Road tube station (C ...
, which has been replaced by S Stock before the end of their lifespan, so that the subsurface lines (Circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...
, District
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:
Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical)
* Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop
** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see"
* Metropolitan ar ...
) could have a common rolling stock fleet compatible with a new ATO system. The stated purpose of the D-train is to ameliorate a perceived shortage of affordable, modern rolling stock on Britain's regional rail routes, resulting from the slow pace of electrification
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. In the context of history of technology and economic development, electrification refe ...
. In the conversion programme, the company re-uses the bodyshells and bogies from the D78 units, and fits them out with new diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
s and interiors.
Two prototype units that were operated by Vivarail, designated as 230001 and 230002. The diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) 230001 is a three-car unit; each of these is outfitted with passenger fitting and fixtures, including seats, tables, a single toilet, onboard Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
, and electrical charging points. 230001 retains the original Brush traction motors, but future units make use of AC motors from Traktionssysteme Austria.
Unit 230002, which was completed during 2018, is a battery electric multiple unit
A battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), battery electric railcar or accumulator railcar is an electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy can be supplied from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors.
Prime advantages of ...
, designed for operating on partially electrified routes. It features four 106 kWh battery rafts, which provide for an operational range of , requiring an eight-minute charge after each journey. The battery-powered train can be charged through an automatic charging point. Alternative means of charging the two-car vehicle include the use of a static battery bank to provide an electric supply of either 11 kV or 33 kV. The train requires a minimum of 750 V to operate.
The first D78 units were delivered to Vivarail on 19 January 2015; conversion of a single-car prototype to facilitate testing and marketing activities commenced shortly thereafter. By summer 2016, this prototype have been completed and was running live tests upon Vivarail's own test track. During November 2016, main line testing of the units began, the prototype unit being based at the Tyseley Locomotive Works while it was operating to and from Leamington Spa railway station
Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road, towards the southern edge of the town centre. It is a major stop on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmin ...
. In December 2016 one of the units caught fire during testing, leading to the postponement of further trials. During March 2017, it was announced that testing of the battery-powered demonstrator had commenced at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre. In February 2018, Vivarail announced that its first two-car battery unit was approaching completion and was projected to run on the main line network during that summer.
The first unit entered service with West Midlands Trains (as London Northwestern Railway) on the Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale line is the line between and in England, a surviving remnant of the former Varsity Line between and , most of which was closed in the late 1960s. The line is sponsored by the Marston Vale community rail partnership. The line ...
on 23 April 2019, almost two years after the last D78 Stock ran on the London Underground on 21 April 2017.
Vivarail, the manufacturer of the class, entered administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...
in December 2022. The resulting cessation of maintenance service caused London Northwestern to withdraw their fleet from service.
Design
The Class 230 D-Train is a family of trains, functioning either as a diesel electric multiple unit or a battery EMU dependent upon the configuration used, developed and produced by Vivarail for use on the National Rail
National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, a group representing passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by ...
network. According to the manufacturer, it is to be available in different layouts with various amenities, which are to be configured in order to conform with the specific requirements of a given operator to better adapt the vehicle for its operating environment. In general, the D-Train is to be fitted with accessible toilets, refreshment trolleys, at-seat tables, Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
, storage and iPad
The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and later iPadOS. The IPad (1st generation), first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. ...
holders. ''Rail Magazine
''Rail'' is a British magazine on the subject of current rail transport in Great Britain. It is published every two weeks by Bauer Consumer Media and can be bought from the travel sections of UK newsstands. It is targeted primarily at the en ...
'' reports that each car is furnished with two underfloor engine-generator sets; Vivarail has claimed that the fuel consumption is roughly 0.5litre per car per mile (7.5miles per gallon per car); this is about half the fuel consumption of a Pacer. That information applies to two-car units; three-car units instead have four gensets in the centre car and none in the driving cars. The maximum speed is .
When adapted to its ''City'' configuration, a single D-Train would operate as either two or three cars per unit. The two-car vehicle is to be configured to accommodate 86 seats per unit and, including standing room, provides for a total passenger capacity of 188. The three-car vehicle, when fitted with 140 longitudinal seats, will have a total passenger capacity of 294, including those standing. For the ''Country'' layout, each D-train unit is to be a three-car formation, which would accommodate 163 seats along with a total capacity of 291. In its ''Commuter'' variant, the D-Train features either two or three cars per unit. The two-car vehicle accommodates 114 mixed-type seats for a total carrying capacity of 188 passengers. The three-car vehicle, furnished with 172 longitudinal seats, accommodated up to 297 passengers, while the three-car vehicle with 154 transverse seats will carry 147 standing passengers additionally.
The construction practices for producing the D-Train have been promoted as being carbon-neutral
Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and Greenhouse gas removal, removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon diox ...
as a result of deliberate efforts to reduce the levels of waste, energy consumption, time and costs involved. Much of the savings has been attributed to the reuse of many high-quality elements of the original D-stock rolling stock. Emission-reduction measures have been taken, including the adoption of a diesel engine that incorporates a start-stop system
A start-stop system (also referred to as idling stop or micro hybrid) is a technology that automatically shuts down and restarts a vehicle's internal combustion engine to reduce idle time, with the aim of lowering fuel consumption and emissio ...
, while the use of trackside maintenance practices has been promoted as contributing to meaningful empty mileage fuel savings as well as lessening its impact upon the environment. The manufacturer promotes the type as being more economical to purchase, operate and maintain, and as well as for its ease of serviceability during a short duration. The D-Train has been anticipated to offer a service life in excess of 25 years.
The trains themselves are former D78 Stock units, originally manufactured by Metro-Cammell of Birmingham. 150 driving motor cars and 150 intermediate trailer cars were purchased at scrap value. The bogies were supplied by Canadian rolling stock manufacturer Bombardier while the D78 Stock was in service with London Underground. The 3.2-litre, five-cylinder diesel engines are manufactured by Ford in South Africa. Lithium Werks (formerly Valance) is the supplier of the battery rafts, while the electronic power control systems are produced by Strukton Rail. The three-phase
Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3ϕ) is a common type of alternating current (AC) used in electricity generation, Electric power transmission, transmission, and Electric power distribution, distribution. It is a type of polyphase system ...
AC traction motor
A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains.
Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...
s are sourced from specialist Traktionssysteme Austria. Reportedly, the design of the D-Train is compliant with current rail industry emission standards, including the applicable elements of its automotive technology.
Marketing
Overview
Vivarail stated that it planned to pitch the converted trains to a number of train operating companies
In the railway system of Great Britain, a train operating company (TOC) is a railway undertaking operating passenger trains under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways ...
(TOCs), especially those bidding for the Northern franchise which was awarded in December 2015. The company positioned the D-Train as being a cost-effective alternative to buying brand new rolling stock, enabling TOCs to replace the Pacer railbuses
A railbus is a lightweight passenger railcar with an automotive engine. It shares many aspects of its construction with a bus, typically having a bus (original or modified) body and four wheels (2 axles) on a fixed base instead of on bogies. O ...
in the north of England with upcycled Underground stock. However, Arriva won the bidding for the Northern franchise in December 2015 with a rolling stock plan that included the procurement of brand new stock, as well as internal and external cascades of existing multiple units.
According to ''BBC Look East
''BBC Look East'' is a BBC regional television news service for the East of England, produced by BBC East.
History
The first BBC television news bulletins for the East of England began at 6.05pm on 5 October 1959. These new bulletins, launche ...
'', Vivarail was in talks with bidders for the East Anglia franchise. However, the proposal drew criticism from the Rail Maritime and Transport Union as being a scheme to provide "second-hand" trains to the region instead of new stock. While the East Anglia franchise includes some very rural routes where previously only single carriage trains were used, the successful bidder opted for new stock instead.
Potential customers
In May 2015, it was claimed Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales (ATW; ) was a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operated the Wales & Borders franchise. It ran urban and inter-urban passenger services to all railway stations in Wales, including , , , , and , ...
was to open talks with Vivarail over taking on converted D78s. Under a recent franchise agreement, FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.[Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...]
franchise) has agreed to carry out a study on the use of overhauled Vivarail D-Trains on branch lines by the end of the year, possibly leading to a trial of the units.
During September 2015, it was revealed that Coventry City Council
Coventry City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the city of Coventry in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Coventry has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasi ...
was looking into the possibility of using converted D78s to run additional services on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line; this would be especially useful to serve Coventry Arena station during match days at the Coventry Building Society Arena
The Coventry Building Society Arena (often shortened to the CBS Arena or just simply Coventry Arena, and formerly known as the Ricoh Arena) is a complex in Coventry, West Midlands, England. It includes a 32,609-seater stadium which is currentl ...
, as well as to alleviate a shortage of rolling stock. London Midland
London Midland was a train operating company in England which operated the West Midlands franchise between 11 November 2007 and 10 December 2017. It was owned by the British transport group Govia.
London Midland was created as a result of Gov ...
subsequently announced in July 2016 its intention to run a prototype three-car set for a year-long trial on this line before the prototype unit caught fire during testing which led to the trial being cancelled.
In June 2016, a revived version of open access operator Go-Op was proposed to Office of Rail & Road
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic and safety regulation of Britain's railways, and the economic monitoring of National Highways.
ORR regulates Network Rail by setting its a ...
. The proposed service would run from 2019 between Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
and Nuneaton
Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire to the north-east.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton's population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 censu ...
via Swindon
Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...
and Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
. Under the filed plans, Go-Op intended to use a number of Class 230s between Taunton and Swindon between December 2017 and 2019. However, it did not plan to operate these trains across the full route.
In late 2017, Vivarail announced that it had sent a brochure detailing the potential of the Class 230 for use on the Valley Lines
Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes (formerly Valley Lines) is the urban and suburban rail network radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys.
The services are curre ...
network in South Wales to the bidders for the new Wales & Borders franchise
The Wales & Borders franchise () is a railway franchise for passenger services in the United Kingdom operated since 7 February 2021 by publicly owned operator, Transport for Wales Rail. The franchise covers the majority of rail services in W ...
. These would be battery
Battery or batterie most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
* Battery indicator, a device whic ...
-powered variants, capable of recharging via 25 kV OHLE which is expected to be installed. In June 2018, it was announced that successful bidder KeolisAmey Wales
Keolis Amey Operations (), Full legal name is bilingual including the Welsh name, as "Keolis Amey Operations / Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Limited". trading as Transport for Wales Rail Services (TfW Rail Services) was a Welsh train operating c ...
would purchase five units, but diesel-battery-electric and for use on the Borderlands Line between North Wales and North West England.[ ]
During March 2018, it was announced that plans were being developed to take a Class 230 to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, in order to demonstrate how they could provide a low-cost rolling stock option for new passenger services. It was revealed in late March 2021 that the unit was battery-electric unit 230002. The unit was shipped to the United States by April 2021.
In October 2018, it was reported in ''Modern Railways
''Modern Railways'' is a monthly British magazine covering the rail transport industry, which was published by Ian Allan until March 2012 and Key Publishing since then. It has been published since 1962. The magazine was based originally in Shep ...
'' magazine that South Western Railway
South Western Railway Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is the British state-owned train operating company that took over the services of the South Western Railway (2017–2025), operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR ...
had submitted plans to the Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...
to replace the 80-year-old Class 483 units with Class 230 units on its Island Line services, but an announcement on 16 September 2019 confirmed that the Isle of Wight units would be Vivarail's third rail electric Class 484, which are also converted D78 stock.
Cost comparison
Vivarail reported in October 2015 its own analysis on how it believed the lease and ongoing costs of the Class 230 cars compared to procuring a new DMU and against existing Class 150 carriages. Modern Railways observed "Vivarail makes no allowance for non-capital rental costs, which suggests that there is no provision for amortisation or major mid-life overhaul as would be the case with a new train"
Operators
West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway)
From December 2018, West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a British train operating company. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trading names: within the West Midlands region as West Midlands Rai ...
, also operating as ''London Northwestern Railway'' was intending to operate three Class 230 units on the Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale line is the line between and in England, a surviving remnant of the former Varsity Line between and , most of which was closed in the late 1960s. The line is sponsored by the Marston Vale community rail partnership. The line ...
, but their introduction was delayed, entering service on the Bletchley to Bedford line on 23 April 2019.
The cars in these sets have only two doors on each side.
On 1 December 2022, London Northwestern Railway announced that they had withdrawn their Class 230s from service between Bedford and Bletchley until further notice as a result of Vivarailwho maintain the Class 230 fleet for LNRentering into administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...
. Replacement buses operate on the Marston Vale Line currently until further notice, as said by London Northwestern Railway. In February 2023, it was announced that s would be restarting services on the Marston Vale Line, therefore replacing Class 230s.
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales Rail
Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom, publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Governme ...
was expected to operate five units on the Borderlands Line from May 2022.
Testing of the TfW units began in spring 2020 on the Kidderminster Line.
TfW sets have a restyled front end and retain the previous door spacing, except for the removal of one door on each side of one of the driving cars for the fitting of a universal accessible toilet, replaced by a blank panel on the toilet side and a window on the other.
Entry into service has been delayed by a number of technical issues with the fleet and was further complicated by Vivarail's going into administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...
on 1 December 2022.
The first Class 230 entered service on 3 April 2023 between and .
Great Western Railway
In February 2022, Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
announced plans to test fast-charge battery technology on the Greenford branch line
The Greenford branch line is a Network Rail suburban railway line in west London, England. It runs northerly from a triangular junction with the Great Western Main Line west of West Ealing to a central bay platform at Greenford station, wh ...
. As it is a low priority to be electrified, the only realistic alternative option is to replace diesel powered rolling stock with battery powered rolling stock. The test will see the existing units replaced by Class 230 battery-electric multiple unit trains produced by Vivarail
Vivarail was a British rolling stock manufacturer, founded in 2012 and based in Southam, Warwickshire. Vivarail's main project was the conversion of retired London Underground D78 Stock into two new classes for National Rail services. It was l ...
, with the company's Fast Charge equipment installed. This will entail the installation of a conductor rail that becomes live only when a train is above it. This is then used to charge the lithium-ion batteries
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energy ...
on the train, a process that would take about ten minutes. It was announced in February 2023 that GWR had purchased the relevant assets from the administrators of Vivarail, and taken over the employment of nine Vivarail staff, to allow this trial to proceed.
Incidents
On 30 December 2016, the prototype set caught fire at . Ten people were evacuated safely. It was announced in January 2017 that the planned trial on the Coventry to Nuneaton line had been cancelled. An incident report, produced by Vivarail, identified a fuel leak in one of the two new engine sets as the most likely cause of the fire.
On 1 July 2021 a Class 230 caught fire near Wrexham Central railway station
Wrexham Central railway station () is the smaller of two railway stations serving the central area of Wrexham in Wales, the other being Wrexham General railway station, Wrexham General. The Railway platform, platform can accommodate a three car ...
while on a staff training run.
In service
The first Class 230 service to carry passengers operated on 21 and 22 June 2017 when the prototype (230001) was used to operate a shuttle service from Honeybourne
Honeybourne is a village and civil parish about east of Evesham, in the Wychavon district, in Worcestershire, England. Much of the parish are farmland. RAF Honeybourne just south of the village was operational from 1940 until 1947. In 2001, ...
to the Rail Live exhibition at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre.
The next unit230002, a battery-electric multiple unitoperated shuttles at the same location for the Rail Live 2018 event between 20 and 21 June. The same unit also went to the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a heritage railway in Bo'ness, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS), a registered charity, and operates a total of over of track (between Bo'ness and Manuel Juncti ...
for a public trial to show the use of battery trains. It was later redecorated and shipped to the United States, and was involved in demonstrating the Railroad Development Corporation
The Railroad Development Corporation is an American railroad holding company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It operates several short line railroads outside the United States and acts as an investor, with management and institutional investor ...
's "pop-up metro" concept at the Rockhill Trolley Museum
The Rockhill Trolley Museum is a museum and heritage railway in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania that collects and restores trolley, interurban, and transit cars. Founded in 1960, the museum operates what has been historically referred to as the Sh ...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. The pop-up metro concept aims to provide a "complete package" of trains, platforms, operating rules, and support functions that can help to demonstrate the feasibility and value of investing in introducing, or reintroducing, regular passenger services on lines that are currently not served.
During October 2017, West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a British train operating company. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trading names: within the West Midlands region as West Midlands Rai ...
, the new holder of the West Midlands franchise, announced plans to procure three two-car D-Train units for use on the Marston Vale line
The Marston Vale line is the line between and in England, a surviving remnant of the former Varsity Line between and , most of which was closed in the late 1960s. The line is sponsored by the Marston Vale community rail partnership. The line ...
from December 2018.
The first Class 230 entered passenger service (230004) with West Midlands Trains on the Marston Vale line
The Marston Vale line is the line between and in England, a surviving remnant of the former Varsity Line between and , most of which was closed in the late 1960s. The line is sponsored by the Marston Vale community rail partnership. The line ...
between Bedford and Bletchley, on 23 April 2019. They were withdrawn from service in December 2022.
The first Class 230 entered service with Transport for Wales Rail for the Borderlands line between Wrexham Central and Bidston on 3 April 2023.
Fleet details
As of March 2017, two demonstrator units have been constructed. In October 2017, it was announced that West Midlands Trains had placed an order for three units. Initially intended to have a separate number sequence from the prototypes, the production units were eventually numbered sequentially.
Named units
Unit 230001 is named ''Viva Venturer''.
Notes
References
{{British Rail EMU, state=collapsed
230
Year 230 ( CCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Agricola and Clementinus (or, less frequently, year 983 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 230 for th ...
Train-related introductions in 2019
Battery electric multiple units