Background
Founded in 2012, Vivarail was a pioneer in developing passenger rolling stock for urban, commuter and rural railways across Britain, based on conversion of former London subway trains (D78) into ground-breaking Class 230 D-Trains. In addition to rolling stock, Vivarail was a leder in developing and testing battery technology for rail, which included its own patented Fast Charge system, able to re-charge a battery-powered train in just 10 minutes.
Vivarail was founded by retired Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter. In August 2014, RDC purchased a 50% interest in Vivarail in association with its management team.
In 2021, Pop-Up Metro purchased two battery electric trains from Vivarail to demonstrate their use in fast-start transit projeccts in the US.
Later in 2021, Vivarail debuted its battery train at COP26 in Glasgow as the first all-electric train to cross the iconic Firth of Forth bridge. Notable attendees included HRH Prince Charles.
As of 2022, Vivarail's customers included West Midlands Railway, Transport for Wales, and South Western Railways.