Saft Batteries Log Over 1 Million Miles on Trains

beaten the million-mile mark on the GNER Mallard trains that operate a high-speed intercity service for 17 million passengers a year along Britain’s East Coast main line. Four years after the Saft batteries were first installed on the trains they continue to provide a consistently high performance and reliability and, in contrast to lead-acid batteries that would now have to be replaced, they are expected to continue in service for at least 11 more years.

Nine batteries, each comprising 76 Saft MATRICS MRX cells, are fitted to each Mallard train set, while a single battery is also fitted to each driving van trailer. The batteries provide support for the train electrical systems through neutral sections of track where there are momentary interruptions to the main power supply. In event of a power failure, the batteries will provide up to 90 minutes of backup power for vital safety and control circuits such as lighting, door operation and passenger communications.