James Drumm’s 1932 Battery-Powered Train Resurfaces in Ireland’s Green Future | Season 4 – Episode 88
Wheels Nov 19, 2024
On October 29th 2021, Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport brought you our fascinating story, “Irish Invented Battery-Powered Train 85 Years Before Tesla”. In Episode 70 of Season 1, we explored how Irish engineering visionary, Dr James J. Drumm, pioneered and put into service a battery-powered train as far back as 1932.
1932 BATTERY TRAIN
Drumm’s battery-powered train was truly ahead of its time, offering low operating costs of just £1.20 per suburban mile (March 21, 1945), a range of 130 km, a cruising speed of 88 km/h, and a capacity for 140 passengers, with the ability to make 10-15 trips daily. However, as with many innovative Irish railway projects, political and economic challenges hindered its long-term success. After operating for 17 years the trains were withdrawn in 1949 as their batteries reached end-of-life. A lack of political support led to this pioneering technology being abandoned, only to be replaced by steam locomotives and traditional carriages.
Check out our video on Dr James Drumm’s battery-powered train: “Irish invented battery powered trains 85 years before Tesla” Season 1 – Episode 70
X’TRAPOLIS DART+
In November 2024—75 years after Drumm’s pioneering train was withdrawn—a new fleet inspired by his 1932 technology is making a triumphant return. On November 13th 2024, at Inchicore Works, Dublin, Iarnród Éireann unveiled a 1:1 mock-up of the first five-carriage train of the new X’trapolis DART+ Fleet, set to replace polluting diesel locomotives and bring cleaner rail travel back to Ireland.
While these new trains aren’t entirely battery-powered, they operate with a battery-electric hybrid system. The five-carriage X’trapolis DART+ Fleet train (DART: Dublin Area Rapid Transit) marks the first of 185 carriages ordered from rail manufacturer Alstom, set to begin service from early 2026.
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The new fleet, funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) under Project Ireland 2040, is part of the broader DART+ Programme, which plans for up to 750 electric and battery-electric carriages over the next decade at a cost of €2.6 billion.
Chief Executive of Irish Rail Jim Meade said: “Thanks to input from our customers and drivers, and the work of the Irish Rail and Alstom teams, we can now experience what the future of DART+ transport will be like. The sample carriage we see on display is modern, comfortable and customer centred and we look forward to having these carriages in use on our network serving new and existing communities for generations to come.”
BATTERY-ELECTRIC
A total of 155 out of 185 carriages on order are battery-electric, providing increased capacity for commuters ahead of line electrification, with the remaining 30 being electric-only. Each X’trapolis 10-carriage train, formed by joining two five-car sets, will be the longest operable on current infrastructure, with a capacity for at least 1,100 passengers. Alstom’s modular X’trapolis commuter train is highly successful, with over 6,000 railcars sold worldwide. The trains for Dublin are specially tailored for the DART+ programme. The first trains will serve the Drogheda to Dublin Commuter route, with recharging facilities being built at Drogheda Station.
The X’trapolis DART+ features low-floor doors with automatic retractable steps for level access, eliminating the need for “Mind the gap” announcements. It offers wide gangways, improved facilities for wheelchair users, families, and cyclists, with dedicated spaces and charging stations for mobile phones, e-bikes, and e-scooters. Enhanced customer information systems include large displays, real-time updates, door illumination, and sensory-impaired features like hearing loops. Advanced CCTV improves safety and security.
ALSTROM
In addition to supplying the new fleet, Alstom will provide a range of services solutions, including a Technical Support and Spares Supply agreement for the first 15 years of the fleet’s operation, deploying its HealthHub and TrainScanner technologies for predictive maintenance, and providing three train simulators to support driver training.
The initial 185-carriage orders will benefit a number of routes:
- Sixty-five new battery-electric carriages will be deployed first on Drogheda to Dublin Northern Commuter services.
- New electric carriages will be deployed on existing Malahide/Howth to Bray/Greystones DART services, allowing all services to be operated at maximum length.
- The further 90 battery-electric carriages ordered in December 2022 will facilitate the overall DART+ network, with potential to use them on other parts of the rail network in advance of wider electrification, subject to available funding for necessary infrastructure.
The first train in Iarnród Éireann’s new fleet, built at Alstom’s Chorzów facility near Katowice, Poland, will now undergo a thorough regulatory approval, testing, and commissioning process at Inchicore Works and on the Greater Dublin Area rail network, before entering service in early 2026.
In 2024, after 92 years, we have finally come full circle—realising the brilliance of Dr. James Drumm’s 1932 battery-powered train and returning to his visionary technology.
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Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Alstom
British Pathé
Irish Rail
RTE
