The transportation industry is seeking to eliminate dependency on fossil fuels for operation. While hydrogen-powered trains made their debut last year, battery-powered trains are also making their way for easy and emissions-free transportation. In this quest, Germany has begun trials for the world’s first battery-powered passenger trains.
The conjoined venture of Deutsche Bahn (DB) and French manufacturer Alstom will commence revenue services with passengers aboard from this weekend in Baden-Württemberg. Further trials will begin in Bavaria on February 5 and run throughout early May on all routes. DB’s regional transport subsidiary DB Regio will function the train along the two routes.
Alstom-built Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) will kick off test runs on regional services. With 150 seats, the trains are expected to cover a total distance of around 50,000 km by May.
Image: Alstom/Lars Sänger
DB Regio CEO Dr Jörg Sandvoss, said;
Deutsche Bahn wants to be climate-neutral by 2040 and this first battery train in passenger service represents the next big step towards emission-free trains in Germany’s regional transport. With this test, DB Regio wants to gain practical experience in order to master these future technologies in operation and maintenance. The trial operation provides new technical and operational knowledge in handling this innovative climate-friendly drive technology.
The battery-electric vehicle was developed by Alstom and the Technical University of Berlin, with the support of the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and the development for the battery-electric train has been in the works since 2016.
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The battery-operated train will run on the Stuttgart-Horb line in Baden-Württemberg on weekdays, while on the weekends, it will operate on the Pleinfeld-Gunzenhausen line in the Franconian Lake District. The project aims to provide a sustainable alternative and enable climate-friendly rail transportation in the country.
Via: Railway Technology