Emission-free, energy-efficient and low-noise – the new battery-operated train from Bombardier Transportation, introduced to the public for the first time, scores with these features. A group maiden voyage with the BOMBARDIER TALENT 3 electro-hybrid train was the highlight of the press event at Bombardier’s Hennigsdorf site. The guests included Enak Ferlemann, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and Federal Commissioner for Rail Transport as well as the Brandenburg Transport Minister Kathrin Schneider.
“We want to continue to electrify rail transport. A train that can charge its batteries from the overhead line while driving is a huge step toward this and the epitome of innovation,” the State Secretary stated. “On non-electrified or only partially electrified routes, the motto is: move away from diesel on the tracks and toward cleaner and more environmentally-friendly mobility.”
The new battery-operated train is the first of its kind and was developed for Germany over the course of the past 60 years. It does not generate any exhaust and sets the standards for smart mobility with peak values of 90 percent in the areas of efficiency and recyclability. It is also around 50 percent quieter than modern diesel trains. According to a comparative study by the Technical University of Dresden, the battery-operated train clearly has an edge with respect to the total costs across the service life of 30 years.
“With our new battery-operated train, we are putting real innovation on the tracks,” said Michael Fohrer, head of Bombardier Transportation in Germany. “This train is Bombardier’s technological response to challenges such as air pollution, climate change and scarcity of resources. Around 40 percent of the German rail network is not electrified. The Bombardier battery-operated train is an attractive option to counter that, both economically and ecologically speaking.”
In general, the prospects for the battery-operated train are positive. The range increases proportionally with the continuous capacity increases due to new battery developments. The current prototype is equipped with four BOMBARDIER MITRAC traction batteries and can travel routes of around 40 kilometers — in 2019, the next generation of battery-operated trains will be able to cover distances of up to 100 kilometers on non-electrified railways. In 2019, Deutsche Bahn (DB) will start a twelve-month trial run with passengers with the current prototype in the Alb-Lake Constance region.
