First Hybrid Battery Train in Europe

Battery powered cars and trucks are already becoming popular. Now, we will start seeing battery power in trains. Battery powered trains will start to replace century-old diesel trains that are worse for the environment.

At the InnoTrans transport fair in Berlin, Hitachi Rail and Trenitalia presented their hybrid train called “Blues Train.” The Blues Train will be used in the first fleet of hybrid passenger trains in Europe. It will start operating this year. 

It is the first train to have three modes of power. It can switch between battery, electric or diesel. Hitachi says this feature will help reduce emissions more than 50 percent.

The Group CEO of Hitachi Rail, Andrew Barr, says that the three modes of power, or “tri-mode”, mean that the train can travel in places where there is no electric network. 

46 percent of railways in Europe are not connected to an electric network.

When the train is on an electrified railway, it will use electricity for power. When it’s on non-electrified railways, it can use battery power and diesel. The train will only use battery power near stations so there are less emissions in towns and less noise.

The train is planned to start operating in Italy at the end of this year. It may be used in other parts of Europe in the future.

Alstom, a French train manufacturer, recently designed the first hydrogen powered train. It started operating in Germany this month.