Company plans to run battery-powered trains

A new company is planning to run electric buses and battery-powered trains.

Go-op, which recently formed as a co-operative, previously received permission to run diesel rail services in Somerset and Wiltshire but was unable to secure the necessary funding.

It has now said it wants to create charging hubs for electric buses that serve train stations before developing trains powered solely by batteries.

Operations director Alex Lawrie said the co-operative had "not been ambitious enough" with its previous plans and was committed to developing a service "fit for the 21st Century".

The co-operative said it intended to convert either former diesel or electric trains to battery power but that the charging hubs had to be established first.

"We had to go back to the drawing board and ask ourselves some very serious questions," said Lawrie.

"We came to realise we were not being ambitious enough.

"It's a case of saying, 'What are the key railway stations in Somerset and possibly Wiltshire' where we can establish these charging hubs with large scale lineside batteries suitable for a range of public transport options, not just rail."

He added the co-operative would now begin building a business case to present to Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road.

Previously, Go-Op said it wanted to "compete with Great Western Railway" and offer more stops at stations such as Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Westbury, Swindon and Frome through use of diesel rolling stock.

For its new venture, Go-op is collaborating with green energy company Ecotricity.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: "We've been advocating battery-powered trains for some years now – by using them we could electrify all of Britain's train lines and journeys, without the usual incredibly high costs of overhead lines.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to demonstrate the potential this idea has, working with Go-op and others on this very exciting project."

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