No doubt a better option than diesel...

The march towards replacing diesel trains in the UK continues, with Siemens Mobility's new train manufacturing facility in Goole, Yorkshire reckoning that their new bi-mode trains will save Britain's railways £3.5 billion and 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 35 years.  As explained in Rail UK's article below, these new trains will make use of overhead electrification when available, but battery power when it is not. This avoids or minimises the need for the very expensive process of electrification of old lines. The trains' technology  has already seen successful trials in Germany.

In addition, Siemens have developed a faster mechanism for electrification of lines when needed. Called their Rail Charging Converter, it can utilise the pre-existing domestic grid, rather than requiring dedicated electrical networks, thus reducing both the installation time and the installation cost.

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