ABB has entered a partnership with Škoda Group to supply battery packs for new battery-electric trains that Czech Railways has ordered from Škoda Group.
The initial order is for ABB to supply 195 Pro Series battery packs for 15 battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) that Škoda is building for České dráhy (Czech Railways), the Czech national railway operator.
The partnership between ABB and Škoda Group is the first between the two companies and includes a comprehensive 15-year service agreement.
ABB Traction Battery Pro Series battery packs are compact and lightweight, and engineered to optimise vehicle performance while significantly reducing maintenance and downtime.
The battery-electric multiple units represent a significant advancement in Czech railways’ transition to more sustainable operations, offering an immediate and practical solution for avoiding carbon emissions in rail transport.
Škoda Group, is a Czech engineering company specialising in rolling stock manufacturing and is the first time it has incorporated ABB traction technology in its locomotives.
The order adds to other significant orders for ABB’s new Traction Battery Pro Series, which were only announced last September at InnoTrans in Berlin, Germany.
ABB’s standard Pro Battery Series are ideally suited for battery-electric multiple units operating on railway networks that are only partially electrified.
They allow trains to operate on both electrified and non-electrified sections of line, providing flexibility and environmental benefits without the need for full-scale electrification.
Zdeněk Sváta, COO at Škoda Group commented that the partnership with ABB supports the railway industry’s commitment to a net zero future, and the Traction Battery Pro will help České dráhy to achieve a cleaner and quieter service.
As well as the new battery-electric trains, Škoda Group is contracted to deliver twenty-three new electric units to the Czech company RegioJet.
“This partnership with Škoda Group represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide immediately available, energy-efficient solutions for railway operators. Our Pro Battery Series is an ideal solution to meet the demands of partially electrified networks, offering operators a proven option for reducing emissions while maintaining operational efficiency. This is further proof that at ABB, we help industries outrun – leaner and cleaner.”
Edgar Keller, ABB Traction Division President
Responses
Be interesting to have updates on battery operated trains performance and in service experience of effective range without recharge. The balance in the choice between battery power as an alternative to electrifying semi rural lines and having the cost of increased infrastructure matenance and damage from the elements, must be changing?