Lead acid battery manufacturer Hoppecke Industrial Batteries signed in April a new service contract with Siemens, one of the largest global train manufacturers, to service the battery systems on new rolling stock owned by South West Trains in the UK.

In 2016 a contract was agreed with Hoppecke and Siemens for the Thameslink line, the line that runs out of Moorgate in London and operates Siemens’s Desiro City trains.

The batteries on the Desiro City trains are VRLA batteries made by Hoppecke, and the company will provide after-sales support, spare parts and warranty support services.

The design of the equipment is such that the battery, which delivers 108V of power, can be slid out of the box in which it is housed, allowing maintenance in situ.

Hoppecke batteries are already used in 75% of Siemens trains worldwide and in almost 90% of its trains in Great Britain.

Hoppecke’s batteries — including nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion as well as lead-acid — are used in around 50% of trains in Great Britain, according to the company.

Hoppecke Industrial Batteries is the UK arm of Germany’s Hoppecke Batterien.