Germany's first battery-powered trains started service a few days ago on Monday, 8 April, operating on the Network 8 “Ortenau” route from Offenburg to Oberkirch.
The use of the battery-operated trains was officially inaugurated by Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport for the state of Baden-Württemberg and numerous guests.
We are writing a new chapter in railway history with this opening trip.
Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport for the state of Baden-Württemberg
The trains are Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B battery hybrid trains, with four trains having been supplied to operate the service from Offenburg to Bad Griesbach and Offenburg to Hornbergin.
Diesel-powered Regio Shuttle RS1 trains previously operated services on these routes.
Mireo Plus B battery hybrid trains have a range of up to 120 kilometres and can be recharged from overhead lines or use regenerative braking.
The battery system is installed underneath the car floor, with two battery containers holding lithium-ion batteries. Each train has 120 seats and is equipped with toilets, air conditioning, and special access areas.
Siemens Mobility will carry out servicing and maintenance in a new maintenance depot at Offenburg that opened last June. To ensure 100 percent availability, Siemens Mobility's Railigent X Suite application will be used to enable condition-based, predictive maintenance of the trains.
In addition, advanced algorithms and data analytics will enable train operations to be optimised and potential disruptions detected and handled before breakdowns occur.
A charging infrastructure for the new trains has been installed at Achern and Biberach (Baden) railway stations.
Siemens Mobility has also recently trialled the use in Germany of Hydrogen-powered trains.
SWEG not only stands for quality but also for innovation. We are especially pleased to now be able to make these innovative trains available to our passengers and will be demonstrating our role as a reliable partner to both the state of Baden-Württemberg and Siemens Mobility.
Tobias Harms, CEO of the Southwest German Transport Company Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (SWEG)
Thanks to the battery hybrid drive of the Mireo Plus B, trains operating in the Ortenau region as of today are more climate-friendly than those using diesel. Baden-Württemberg is a pioneer with innovative train technology. All trains should be climate-friendly. We are relying on alternative, climate-friendly solutions wherever there are still no overhead power lines.
“With the new network and the new trains, we are increasing the service frequency and providing higher capacity. Passengers now have more comfortable and attractive options for changing trains and boarding – whether in the cities or country.
Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport for the state of Baden-Württemberg
We are proud that our first fleet of Mireo Plus B battery trains is now going into passenger service. We would like to thank the state of Baden-Württemberg and SWEG for their trust and confidence in our innovative and environmentally friendly technology. By expanding rail transport, we can make an active contribution to climate protection. The introduction of these highly advanced trains, which can operate up to 120 kilometres on battery power, marks an important step towards a sustainable future
Albrecht Neumann, Siemens Mobility CEO Rolling Stock
It is worth noting that this train series utilizes Lithium Titanium Oxide batteries which, while less energy dense than other more common Lithium types, has the advantage of very rapid charging and extended cycle life.