Accelerate the decarbonisation of rail with flexible battery technologies
Our battery powered commuter trains – whether full battery, “hybrid” battery-electric or “tri-brid” battery-electric-diesel - are designed with reliability, sustainability, and efficiency in mind.
This new generation of hybrid technology brings improved performance across the fleet – lower CO2 output, up to 50% reduction in fuel consumption, lower noise, reduced journey times, and increased ranges with flexible, scalable battery capacity. Capable of running on both electrified and unelectrified railway lines, these battery powered trains offer greater flexibility for fleet management on regional lines with little to no impact on the existing railway infrastructure.
Full battery, electric-battery hybrid, and diesel electric battery ‘tri-brid’
And, they deliver greater environmental performance. Using our tri-brid retrofit technology, adding battery power can offer additional power when its needed, or contribute to reducing fuel costs and consumption by up to 50%. One such example is Hitachi Rail’s “Blues” commuter train in Italy, which derives from the Masaccio platform and is equipped with diesel-electric propulsion integrated with batteries that can also run without electrification.
The Masaccio Single Deck can be configured with two, four or full battery packs with flexible and scalable battery capacity, installed underframe, and with cooling systems in the roof. The lithium-ion battery cells are modular, with high-rate charging capability, low temperature performance and charge/discharge efficiency.
Fully Charged: Rapid charging technology will charge a train faster than your smartphone
Plus, with the Masaccio Full Battery solution, operators benefit from real-time data analysis and super-fast charging time. Hitachi Rail’s battery management system interfaces directly with the vehicle bus and measures the cell voltage and temperature, to balance usage across the cells. The technology offers full battery recharge from one pantograph in traction phase, and from two pantographs in under 10 minutes at terminal stations.