Stadler recently presented its new FLIRT Akku, which is a battery-operated version of its FLIRT-type series (fast lightweight intercity and regional multiple unit).

This energy-efficient low-noise vehicle, which can be used on non-electrified or partly-electrified routes, completed a journey from the Stadler site in Pankow (the second-largest borough of Berlin) to Schildow (in Brandenburg) without an external power supply.

The FLIRT Akku is a full-fledged FLIRT; and while the traction equipment and the most important mechanical components have been retained, the entire powertrain was rebuilt and equipped with a battery drive.

It was developed in-house at Stadler (www.stadlerrailcom) and received two million euros in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Steffen Obst, head of sales at Stadler Germany, said: “Adapting a FLIRT this way has allowed us to significantly reduce the development and approval times, while ensuring a high level of reliability — even with the test unit.

“We continuously strive to improve the rail traffic sector by implementing good technical ideas quickly and practically to reduce and eliminate emissions, and hopefully encourage more people to travel by train.”

Currently, the prototype has a range of 80km and a maximum operating speed of 140kph in pure battery mode, so 80% of the non-electrified routes in Germany (currently used by diesel vehicles) can be served by this train.

It is possible to charge the batteries during operations using the overhead line — and with energy generated during braking.

The three-carriage test train can accommodate 310 passengers; it has been approved for passenger traffic and will be operating on selected routes starting in 2019.

Stadler sees market opportunities for the FLIRT Akku in Germany, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries with a significant amount of non-electrified track.

Stadler has its headquarters in the town of Bussnang in eastern Switzerland.

There are more than 7,600 employees working at pro-duction and engineering sites in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belarus and the USA.