Alstom and Deutsche Bahn test first battery train in passenger operation in Germany
Alstom and Deutsche Bahn (DB) in cooperation with Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria will open a new chapter in climate-friendly rail operations on Monday when they put Alstom’s first fully approved battery train to the test with passengers onboard.
Starting on 24 January, the Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) will begin revenue service with passengers in Baden-Württemberg and in Bavaria from 5 February. DB will operate the low-emission vehicle with its regional transport subsidiary DB Regio. The test operation will run until the beginning of May 2022.
“Alternative drives are the future of mobility and our comprehensive solutions will enable more sustainable rail transport across Germany,” explains Müslüm Yakisan, President of the DACH Region at Alstom. “Since 2016, we have been working together to develop efficient and cost-effective battery technology to bridge non-electrified gaps on the German rail network. The passenger operation testing will enable us to gather valuable data and demonstrate the viability of our solution.”
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,” says DB Regio CEO Dr. Jörg Sandvoss. “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.”
Since 2016, Alstom has been developing the battery-electric train together with the Technical University of Berlin and with support from the National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW) and funding from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The project is intended to be a sustainable solution for Germany’s rail network where a total of 450 lines are operated exclusively with diesel trains. Alternative drives enable efficient and emission-free operation and this nearly four-month test on passenger routes in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg is the next step towards decarbonating German rail transport. In the future, this BEMU technology will be applied to the Alstom Coradia platform.
