Bombardier Transportation’s new battery-operated train, the  Bombardier Talent 3 electro-hybrid train, was introduced to the German public this week.

“We want to continue to electrify rail transport. A train that can charge its batteries from the overhead line while driving is a huge step toward this and the epitome of innovation,” says Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure State Secretary Enak Ferlemann.

“On non-electrified or only partially electrified routes, the motto is to move away from diesel on the tracks and toward cleaner and more environmentally friendly mobility.”

The new battery-operated train is the first of its kind to enter passenger operation in Europe in more than 60 years.

It does not generate any exhaust fumes and has peak values of 90% in the areas of efficiency and recyclability.

It is also around 50% quieter than modern diesel trains.

According to a comparative study by the Technical University of Dresden, the battery-operated train has an edge over standard trains with respect to total costs across a service life of 30 years.

“With our new battery-operated train, we are putting real innovation on the tracks,” notes Bombardier Transportation Germany head Michael Fohrer.

“This train is Bombardier’s technological response to challenges such as air pollution, climate change and scarcity of resources. Around 40% of the German rail network is not electrified. The Bombardier battery-operated train is an attractive option to counter that, both economically and ecologically speaking.”

In general, the prospects for the battery-operated train are positive, says the Germany-based transportation company.

The train’s travelling range increases proportionally through continuous capacity increases, owing to new battery developments.

The current prototype is equipped with four Bombardier Mitrac traction batteries and can travel routes of around 40 km.

In 2019, the next generation of battery-operated trains will be able to cover distances of up to 100 km on non-electrified railways.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) will next year start a twelve-month trial run with passengers with the current prototype in the Alb-Lake Constance region.

The development of the battery-operated train received a €4-million subsidy from the German federal government within an innovation programme for electromobility.

The project partners include the DB Regio subsidiary DB ZugBusRegionalverkehr Alb-Bodensee (regional transport for the Lake Constance region), Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg Regional Transport Company) and the Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie (National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology), as well as the Technical University of Berlin.