Great to finally see more developments regarding battery trains. There is a remarkable amount of diesel trains still driving around on tracks where it is not cost effective to provide overhead lines. Battery trains will change that.
railwaygazette.com/battery-tracti…
railwaygazette.com/battery-tracti…
Did a little research job for @Arriva_NL recently and although there are differences between trajectories I can confirm that hydrogen trains are much more expensive for most routes. But the potential for battery trains was much bigger than I expected beforehand.
1st reason is that 20% of the trajectory accounts for 80% of the costs. Skipping the expensive part of the overhead lines makes a ton of difference. And a smallish battery carries you across the unelectrified parts.
2nd reason is that this industry knows electrification already. Even the diesel trains usually drive an electromotor and where overhead lines above highways and trucks with pantographs sound a bit outlandish this is the trodden path for trains.
Biggest technical problem (as with all mobility electrification) was the battery. You need a battery that can do many many cycles and is not too expensive. And that's where the biggest breakthroughs have occurred in the last ten years.
I think now the biggest remaining problem is getting this highly regulated, conservative, risk-averse, and all around slow business to innovate at a brisker pace. This article shows more companies are slowly getting with the program and that's really good news.
So I hope companies realise there is money to be made and regulators and customers will start to demand that diesel trains should be retired. With current battery technology there is no reason to wait anymore.
