Only 54% of the European rail network is electrified and further electrifying is expensive – with the cost of the wires as well as the construction cost itself. On the other hand, polluting diesel engines should be replaced to turn transportation a little more sustainable. What steps is Europe taking to sustainable rail transport? We have collected some examples of hybrid battery trains already in operation.
Blues Train
A while ago Hitachi Rail and Trenitalia have introduced their hybrid “Blues Train” at the InnoTrans Transport Fair in Berlin – to first one in Europe that will soon become a fleet servicing passengers from this year.
Hitachi calculates an emission cut of more than 50% with the train’s “tri-mode”, which practically means that the train can switch between its battery, electric, or diesel modes, enabling it to work on both electrified and non-electrified lines.
Running at a top speed of 160 km/h with 300 passengers, the batteries can be charged from the wires and, similarly to hybrid cars, from the diesel engines if needed. Around stations, the train runs on electricity to avoid pollution in inhibited areas and to reduce noise.
The Coradia ILint
Earlier this year, Alstom and Deutsche Bahn started trial runs with a battery-powered passenger train. The former also designed The Coradia iLint™, the world’s first passenger train running entirely on hydrogen – and they’re in service already in Germany.
