Vivarail

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Vivarail
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FateAdministration as of 1 December 2022
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Headquarters
Southam
,
England
Key people
Adrian Shooter (Managing Director)
ProductsD-Train
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OwnerRailroad Development Corporation
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Websitewww.vivarail.co.uk

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Vivarail was a British rolling stock manufacturer, founded in 2012 and based in Southam, Warwickshire. Vivarail's main project was the conversion of retired London Underground D78 Stock into two new classes for National Rail services. It was led by former Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter; the American Railroad Development Corporation was a shareholder.[1][2][3]

In November 2022, the company entered into administration. Assets of Vivarail have been purchased by train operating company GWR. GWR bought intellectual property, rolling stock and equipment relating to the development of high-performance battery and Fast Charge technology to continue Vivarail's work in these areas.[4] The technology was successfully trialled on the Greenford branch line.[5]

Diesel and battery units

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File:British Rail Class 230.jpg
A Class 230 at Long Marston

In November 2014, Vivarail bought 156 driving motor cars and 70 carriages of ex London Underground D78 Stock which were being replaced by S Stock.[6] The stated purpose of the Class 230 is to ameliorate a perceived shortage of affordable, modern rolling stock on Britain's regional rail routes, resulting from the slow pace of electrification.[7][8][9]

Electric units

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Other units retain their electric capability as they have been re-engineered into Class 484 units for use on the Island Line.[10]

Demise

The company announced its intention to appoint administrators in November 2022,[11] and entered administration on 1 December 2022, less than two weeks before Shooter's death. Its Template:BRC trains were temporarily withdrawn from passenger service on the Marston Vale line by London Northwestern Railway the same day.[12]

The business is currently being wound down and has ceased trading.[13] In February 2023, assets including rolling stock and intellectual property rights were purchased by train operator GWR, which also employed nine Vivarail staff to continue the preparation of its Class 230 for trial.[14] A number of assets were also purchased by incumbent operator Transport for Wales Rail in February 2023.[15]

Pop-Up Metro

In addition to Vivarail, another RDC subsidiary, Pop-Up Metro, has been promoting the Class 230 in the United States, as a vehicle to be used on hybrid rail lines. In 2021, two Class 230s were bought by Pop-Up Metro for demonstration in the US.[16] These two trainsets have been demonstrated at the Rockhill Trolley Museum.[17][18]

Pop-Up Metro technology had been proposed for the Iowa City–North Liberty commuter rail, before that proposal was stalled in 2025.

More recently, two transit projects in Pennsylvania involve the Pop-Up Metro. In 2025, Pop-Up Metro proposed working with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) to set up a waterfront transit line.[19] Meanwhile, SEPTA plans to use Pop-Up Metro equipment to restore passenger service on the line between Template:Stl and Template:Stl.[20]

As of 2025, RDC is partnering with another company, TDI Greenway, to promote Pop-Up Metro technology.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Why not do some re-engineering?' Adrian Shooter on the Vivarail D-Train". Rail Technology Magazine. Cognitive Publishing. 23 January 2015.
  2. ^ RDC takes 25% stake in Eurorail Script error: No such module "webarchive". Railway Gazette International 12 January 2015
  3. ^ RDC seeks diverse opportunities in European market Script error: No such module "webarchive". International Railway Journal 18 May 2016
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."GWR acquires Vivarail assets". 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Great Western Railway publishes fast-charge battery findings following success of year-long trial". Great Western Railway. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Viva Vivarail's D-train transformation" Rail issue 771 1 April 2015 page 60
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gurdon, Martin (16 January 2015). "Back on the rails". The Engineer. Centaur Media. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Vivarail begins testing on first converted D-Stock" Rail issue 782 2 September 2015 page 6
  9. ^ "The D-Train Revealed" Today's Railways UK issue 166 October 2015 pages 48-51
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."UKs oldest train fleet updated with 26m investment into Isle of Wights railway". www.southwesternrailway.com. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Vivarail files 'Notice of Intention to appoint Administrators'". RailAdvent. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Marston Vale: Buses replace trains until further notice". LNWR Twitter. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Marston Vale Line: No train services unacceptable says councillor". BBC News. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Preston, Robert (17 February 2023). "Great Western Railway purchases Vivarail assets". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Vivarail Administrator's report". Gov.uk. 30 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Vivarail". rrdc.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026. In 2021, Pop-Up Metro purchased two battery electric trains from Vivarail to demonstrate their use in fast-start transit projeccts [sic] in the US.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Zukowski, Dan (1 October 2021). "Pop Up Metro aims to provide affordable passenger operation". Trains Magazine. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Media. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."UK train manufacturer sends second set of Class 230 battery stock to the US". Rail UK. Coalville: Rail Media Group. 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Smith, Sandy (27 January 2025). "Could Rail Transit Return to the Delaware River Waterfront?". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Alan, David Peter (27 March 2025). "Pop-Up Metro: New Model for New Starts". Railway Age. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tdi Greenway". rrdc.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
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