Testing has begun for new intercity battery trains on the national rail network as the trial aims to support the UK battery sector and green growth.

Battery trains will be trialled on routes between York to Manchester Airport and Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street over the next eight weeks.

This initiative is an industry collaboration between TransPennine Express, Angel Trains and Hitachi Rail to help reduce emissions and fuel costs by as much as 30%.

Paul Staples, Engineering, Safety and Sustainability Director at TransPennine Express, said: "This trial is a huge step towards the rail industry in the UK – and around the world reducing CO2 emissions and we are excited to be part of it.”

Tests the trains will undergo include the battery’s ability to improve performance on hills, regenerative charging via braking, fuel and emission savings and converting to zero-emission battery mode in train stations.

To get to this point the battery train successfully completed low-speed tests on the test track at Hitachi Rail's manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe.

Matthew Prosser, Asset Management Director at Angel Trains, added: "Following the success of one of our Class 802 trains running entirely in battery-mode at Newton Aycliffe, we're excited to see how this technology performs on the national rail network.

“This project represents a multimillion-pound joint investment by Angel Trains and Hitachi in one of our newest fleets.

“It will both support and draw upon the skilled jobs and expertise at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe facility and enable us to demonstrate how battery retrofit technology can help us decarbonise our railways."

According to officials this is the first UK trial where a diesel engine is replaced with a battery on an intercity train.

The battery has been retrofitted onto one of TPE’s ‘Nova 1’ trains (five-carriage intercity Class 802), it generates 700kw of power.

It is expected to demonstrate how battery technology can reduce costs in the railways by reducing the need for overhead wires in tunnel sections and over complex junctions.

Hitachi Rail say they have invested over £15 million to develop this technology with Turntide Technologies in Sunderland.

Paul Newlove, Head of Green Technologies Programme said: "After seeing the train running entirely in battery-mode at Newton Aycliffe, I can’t wait to see how this technology can reduce emissions, reduce fuel costs and improve air quality on the Transpennine route.

“This part of the trial is going to be really exciting because we start to prove the benefits of this green technology for passengers, operators and policy makers.

“It has been such a team effort, with colleagues in Japan, Italy and UK working together for years to finally reach this important stage.”