Wednesday 18 March 2020

Siemens’ first battery-hybrid trains to arrive in Wurtemberg

Baden-Württemberg State Rail Vehicle Authority (SFBW) has ordered new battery-hybrid trains from Siemens.

The trains will operate on rail routes with or without overhead power lines, thanks to their battery hybrid drive and are scheduled to operate in June 2023 .

The firm says the Mireo Plus B, which will be built at Siemens’ factory in Krefeld, Germany, has a range of around 80 kilometres in battery operation under real conditions - the batteries can be charged via the overhead line while operating along electrified sections and by recovering the train’s braking energy.

The company says the battery system of the trains is mounted underfloor and is installed in two secure containers.

Sabrina Soussan, Siemens Mobility CEO, said: “Our battery-powered train Mireo Plus B makes climate-friendly, locally emission-free passenger transport possible, thus offering a sustainable alternative to the use of diesel-powered trains on non-electrified rail routes.

“We will guarantee the availability of the fleet with our maintenance of the trains over their entire lifecycle.”