Train operator ‘one’ railway is to make rail travel more environmentally friendly, with the completion of testing on its fleet of Class 360 Desiro electric-multiple unit trains, to enable the introduction of energy-efficient "Regenerative braking" or “Regen” as it is usually known.

This “green” initiative allows the 360s to generate electricity whilst they are slowing down, by converting the energy created as the train brakes back into electricity - which is then passed back into the overhead power system, thereby providing electricity for these trains or others using the network.

The environmental benefit of this initiative is a reduction in the amount of electricity used and therefore overall energy consumption. Estimations suggest that it could result in a reduction of as much as 16% in electricity use from the operation of the Class 360 fleet. This is possible because the Class 360 Desiro trains use a modern 3-phase AC traction motor system. It also reduces the effect of friction braking which reduces brake wear and cuts down on brake dust levels.

The 21 x Class 360 Desiro four-carriage electric-multiple unit trains were originally designed to use “Regenerative braking”. However, the infrastructure in the region was initially not fully compatible with its operation. Recent upgrades completed by Network Rail have now enabled ‘one’ railway to make use of this feature.

So far, nine of the Class 360 fleet have been "switched on" for “Regen” and the remainder of the fleet will follow with completion expected by the end of January 2007.

Dominic Booth, Managing Director for ‘one’ railway said: “Customers rightly expect us to ensure rail travel is as “green” as possible. The introduction of regenerative braking on our Class 360 fleet of trains is a major step-forward in reducing energy levels to provide a far-more efficient and environmentally friendly method of powering this type of train. ‘one’ railway is one of the first train operators to implement such a project, which is part of our overall strategy to manage energy use in a sensible and considerate way.”