From Pistoia Hitachi launches battery-powered trains
Hitachi Rail has completed the first phase of the rollout of its battery-powered Masaccio trains in Italy , as part of the €1.23 billion deal with Trenitalia, a press release reads. Trenitalia has introduced a fleet of 20 “Blues” branded trains that cross the entire national territory.
European countries have collectively pledged to decarbonise transport and reduce emissions by up to 55% by the end of the decade. While the switch to electric vehicles (EV) is relatively straightforward, a large section of the European rail network remains unelectrified. That's why a battery-operated train
Due to the topographical challenges in Europe, a complete electrification of rail transport is unlikely in the foreseeable future, as most of the rail systems in the region are currently based on diesel engines. Against this backdrop, battery-powered trains offer hope of reducing emissions without having to tackle the costly and time-consuming tasks of electrification across regions.
How does a battery operated train work?
The battery train is capable of running on both electrified and non-electrified lines. When operating on the former system, the train uses a pantograph, i.e. a mechanism that connects to the power line to acquire the electricity needed to run and recharge the battery.
In areas where electrification is not available, the train switches to a combination of diesel and battery power. However, as it approaches a station and enters populated areas, it relies solely on battery power to eliminate harmful emissions. So we could call it a hybrid train.
Although batteries have been used in trains before, this is the first time they have served as the primary energy source for the entire journey. For the time being, the battery pack can only provide a range of 15 km. Once depleted, it can be recharged using both the diesel engine and regenerative braking while en route, the press release adds.
Designed to travel at speeds up to 160km/h
The Masaccio train is built at the Hitachi Rail factory in Pistoia, near Florence, and is currently in service on popular routes along the Ionian coast in Sicily, Sardinia and Lazio, to name a few. Trenitalia plans to introduce a total of 135 such trains under the agreement with Hitachi.
Each of the trains can seat up to 300 people and can be modified internally for use by commuters or leisure travellers. In addition to accommodating luggage and bicycles, the train also offers space to stow equipment such as snowboards and mountain bikes.
Designed to travel at speeds of up to 160km per hour, these trains are built to a European gauge and adhere to the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) digital signaling as standard protocol.
The Driver Advisory System (DAS) of these trains can help identify optimal speeds to minimize energy consumption while ensuring reliable weather. The company expects battery technology to improve further over the next two years and enable a range of more than 100 km. In the future, the next trains will have a longer range and, at the same time, the trains already in service will undergo retrofitting to incorporate newer batteries.
The trains are built with 93% recycled materials, making a significant contribution to sustainable travel practices.
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The article Hitachi launches battery-powered trains from Pistoia comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/da-pistoia-hitachi-lancia-i-treni-a-batteria/ on Thu, 29 Jun 2023 18:41:03 +0000.