For almost three months he drove through the Franconian Lake District on weekends – as long as battery problems didn’t force him to stop: the first Bavarian test operation of a battery train between Gunzenhausen and Pleinfeld has been completed despite technical problems. A sequel is now planned. Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) announced on Monday that the passengers were happy about a “strong train” and the residents about a “quiet and CO₂-free operation”. “So the battery train has a lot of potential.”
Diesel trains are still running on routes without a continuous catenary. Trains with battery drives are therefore considered to be a climate-friendly alternative. In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, a railcar made by Alstom was used in the Bavarian pilot project. The Ministry of Transport wants to continue testing this in the Central Franconian diesel network as soon as the traction batteries have been repaired. “It makes sense to collect additional empirical values for battery operation in the hot summer months,” said Bernreiter. The extent to which this is possible is still being coordinated between the Free State, DB Regio and Alstom.