page_title: Borderlands line
section_title: Proposed battery trains
hierarchical_section_title: Borderlands line / Development / Proposed battery trains
caption_attribution_description: English: Inside the Class 230 Vivarail D-Train trailer coach which demonstrates some of the possible seating options and also includes a fully accessible toilet.
context_page_description: The Borderlands line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales and Bidston on the Wirral in England.
  Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales between the southern terminal of Wrexham Central and Bidston in the north. Bidston is an interchange station for Merseyrail services to Liverpool and West Kirby. Trains run every hour Monday to Saturday daytime, every two hours after 18:45 and on Sundays. Connections with other National Rail services are at Bidston, Shotton and Wrexham General.
  The line is also referred to as the Mid Wirral line, as most of the line runs north–south through the middle of the Wirral peninsula. The line is to introduce bi-modal battery electric diesel trains in 2020. The Wirral's other railway routes are provided with frequent Merseyrail electric trains. The Borderlands line has a service of one train per hour. From 2021 the service will improve to two trains per hour using fully refurbished ex-London Underground D78 stock trains, classified as Class 230, with primarily battery power plants with a diesel engine as a fail-safe.
context_section_description: The operation of battery trains that receive energy from batteries and an electric pick-up has been proposed for operation on unelectrified and electrified sections of the track. Adoption of these types of trains would reduce the need for full line electrification. 
  A trial of a converted Electrostar train using energy from overhead wires and batteries when on non-electrified sections of track was undertaken in January and February 2015 on the Mayflower line. The train travelled up to 60 miles on energy stored in the batteries also recharging the batteries via the overhead-wires when on electrified track, at stations and via brake regeneration. A month later in March 2015, the introduction of battery powered trains was proposed for the Borderlands line by Network Rail. 
  The Network Rail document suggested that consideration had been given to electrification and to extending the terminus from Bidston further into Birkenhead for greater connectivity. However these options were expressed as offering low value for money. The document proposes that using battery powered rolling stock precluding full electrification of the line, provides a cheaper method of increasing connectivity and extending the service into the electrified Birkenhead and Liverpool sections of the Wirral line. From the document:
  "In the longer term, potential deployment of rolling stock with the ability to operate on battery power for part of their journey may provide the ability in an affordable manner to improve the service offering between the Wrexham – Bidston route and Liverpool."
  It was announced in June 2018 that refurbished Class 230 former London Underground D78 stock trains with battery power plants and a diesel engine as a failsafe, are to be introduced between Wrexham and Bidston. The trains were passed for passenger use for 2020 introduction. There is an intention to extend from Bidston onto the Merseyrail Wirral Line taking trains into the Liverpool and Birkenhead underground sections on electrified 3rd rail track using bimodal trains with a 3rd rail pickup.
caption: Inside the refurbished trains
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