U-Bahnfreund
Member
From Sunday 1 October 7:08, the first new battery train of the modern generation will enter service in Germany: on the RB76 line Kiel Hbf - Kiel-Oppendorf, operated by erixx Holstein. Nah.sh, the state's rail authority announced this on Instagram. Considering it's a very short line of 11 minutes running hourly, the entire service should be electric then.
They and later also Nordbahn will use Stadler Flirt Akku trains on most of the unelectrified lines in the state of Schleswig-Holstein (see the state rail authority's page about the "Akkunetz": akkuzug.nah.sh). Erixx has had a rough start there with lots of cancellations due to massive staff and DMU shortages, so let's cross fingers it goes well for them (the RB76 has been replaced by buses basically since erixx took over last December).
Later in the year, Siemens Mireo +B battery trains will enter service on the Ortenau network comprising local trains around Offenburg in Baden-Württemberg, operated by SWEG. I've had the chance to review these trains in Ottenhöfen during the 125 year anniversary celebration of the Acher Valley line, which is part of that network, last Sunday. Quite solid trains, looking forward to them replacing the rather worn out RegioShuttles.
Germany has had a long history of battery trains (e.g. the class 515 which ran for about 40 years from the mid 50s to mid 90s), but they haven't been in regular use for some time now. Also, the new battery trains are able to charge under the normal catenary where available.
This comes after hydrogen trains started running in regular service on the RB33 line between Cuxhaven and Buxtehude (operated by evb) in mid-2022, and on the Taunus network on some outer-suburban lines in the Frankfurt area end of 2022. Start Taunus had an even worse start than erixx though, with trains cancelled left and right every day due to staff, HMU and replacement DMU shortage combined, mixed with bad passenger information. Not great for a network that was supposed to be the showcase for hydrogen.
I've added some links to the relevant project, operator or train manufacturers' websites, as well as two pictures I took of the Siemens Mireo battery train (and a steam engine) in Ottenhöfen.
They and later also Nordbahn will use Stadler Flirt Akku trains on most of the unelectrified lines in the state of Schleswig-Holstein (see the state rail authority's page about the "Akkunetz": akkuzug.nah.sh). Erixx has had a rough start there with lots of cancellations due to massive staff and DMU shortages, so let's cross fingers it goes well for them (the RB76 has been replaced by buses basically since erixx took over last December).
Later in the year, Siemens Mireo +B battery trains will enter service on the Ortenau network comprising local trains around Offenburg in Baden-Württemberg, operated by SWEG. I've had the chance to review these trains in Ottenhöfen during the 125 year anniversary celebration of the Acher Valley line, which is part of that network, last Sunday. Quite solid trains, looking forward to them replacing the rather worn out RegioShuttles.
Germany has had a long history of battery trains (e.g. the class 515 which ran for about 40 years from the mid 50s to mid 90s), but they haven't been in regular use for some time now. Also, the new battery trains are able to charge under the normal catenary where available.
This comes after hydrogen trains started running in regular service on the RB33 line between Cuxhaven and Buxtehude (operated by evb) in mid-2022, and on the Taunus network on some outer-suburban lines in the Frankfurt area end of 2022. Start Taunus had an even worse start than erixx though, with trains cancelled left and right every day due to staff, HMU and replacement DMU shortage combined, mixed with bad passenger information. Not great for a network that was supposed to be the showcase for hydrogen.
I've added some links to the relevant project, operator or train manufacturers' websites, as well as two pictures I took of the Siemens Mireo battery train (and a steam engine) in Ottenhöfen.
