Great Western Railway is celebrating once more, following its record-breaking battery-electric train earning another major industry award.

Great Western Railway took top honours in the Innovative Rolling Stock category at the Spotlight Rail Awards, just weeks after securing the Innovation of the Year title at the Rail Business Awards.

At the centre of this success is its Class 230 unit, 230001, which drew global attention last summer after completing a record-breaking 200.5-mile journey on a single battery charge. This performance significantly exceeded the previous record of 139 miles, set in Berlin in 2021 by Stadler Deutschland.

Independently verified by the Railway Performance Society, the performance of 23001 showed that zero-emission UK rail travel without full overhead electrification is a practical option.

The Spotlight Rail Awards celebrate the people, teams and organisations driving change across the UK rail industry. At the event, Great Western Railway also earned a high commendation in the Training Award Excellence category with its Fraud Investigation Apprenticeship programme.

By developing talent and equipping staff with specialist skills, Great Western Railway is helping to keep the industry resilient, financially sustainable and prepared for future challenges.

“It was fantastic to share in more success for our Innovation Team. They are quite rightly receiving the accolades for what has been a groundbreaking trial of fast-charge battery technology over the past two years.

“As well as capturing the imagination, the world record attempt was about underlining a serious point: investment in battery technology is essential as we look to replace our ageing diesel fleet.

“We’ve since delivered the train into passenger service and continue to gain further insight which can be fed into our own decarbonisation plans, as well as those of the wider rail industry.”

Dr Simon Green, GWR Engineering Director.