Skip to main content

Battery-powered train wins industry award for innovation

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation and its key industry partners were recognised at this year’s Railway Industry Innovation Awards, when the first battery-powered train to run on Britain’s rail network in more than half a century picked up the prize for best cross-industry project. Part of a cross-industry research programme supporting the Rail Technical Strategy, Network Rail developed the Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) in close partnership with Bombardier as well as
July 3, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Rail technology leader 513 Bombardier Transportation and its key industry partners were recognised at this year’s Railway Industry Innovation Awards, when the first battery-powered train to run on Britain’s rail network in more than half a century picked up the prize for best cross-industry project.

Part of a cross-industry research programme supporting the Rail Technical Strategy, Network Rail developed the Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) in close partnership with Bombardier as well as with industry service operator Abellio Greater Anglia, and the Rail Executive research group RSSB through the Future Railway programme.

Network Rail Principal Engineer James Ambrose said, “After months of engineering and testing, the IPEMU ran in trial passenger service earlier this year just as we would like it, thanks to the hard work of all parties involved. We are always looking for ways to reduce the cost of running the railway and make it greener. The IPEMU has the potential to contribute significantly towards both those goals.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Trafficware: Digitised transport tech ‘is the new asphalt’
    April 16, 2019

    Trafficware provides the tech to manage intersections all over the world. Colin Sowman asks CEO Jon Newhard about the ‘questions behind the questions’

    Last year, Trafficware CEO Jon Newhard negotiated the company’s acquisition by Cubic Corporation and now serves as general manager of Trafficware within Cubic’s Transportation Systems business unit.

  • Car to car communications a step closer
    December 14, 2012
    Vehicle manufacturers have targeted 2015 for the first cars to roll off European assembly lines fitted with operational V2X technology. They and their partners in the Car 2 Car Communications Consortium are confident of meeting the target, reports Jon Masters. Around three years from now vehicles should be appearing in showrooms boasting the capability of communicating with each other. Manufacturers will have started fitting the first proprietary car-to-car driver-aid safety devices and deployment of ‘vehic
  • Transport Systems Catapult boss: ‘We can’t build our way out of congestion’
    March 4, 2019
    The UK Transport Systems Catapult’s CEO Paul Campion talks to Colin Sowman about helping companies develop tomorrow’s solutions – and explains why you can never build your way to empty roads The future of mobility is going to be driven by services.” That’s the opening position of Paul Campion, CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) – the UK government organisation set up to help boost transport-related employment and the economy. Campion was previously with IBM and describes himself as a ‘techno o
  • Software is at heart of safe vehicle connectivity, says Qt Group
    September 15, 2023
    Connected vehicle safety isn’t just under threat from malicious actors exploiting code – it’s also about avoiding software faults that could result in harm to people, says Patrick Shelly of Qt Group