Battery, cable, and diesel combo as there are plenty of non-electrified lines
Japanese manufacturer Hitachi Rail and Italy's Trenitalia have unveiled a triple hybrid locomotive that they claim halves carbon emission compared with the trains they replace.
The"Blues train" is suitable to carry passengers throughout the European network and is powered by a combination of batteries, electric cable, and diesel engines. Unveiled at the world's largest rail transport fair, InnoTrans in Berlin, the train will make up the first"tri-mode" fleet when it enters service in Europe later this year.Able to reach a top speed of 160km/h, the train can operate seamlessly on electrified and non-electrified lines, the manufacturer said.
However, when it moves to non-electrified lines, usually smaller regional routes, a combination of battery and diesel power takes over. When it is near a station, the batteries power the train completely, eliminating emissions including harmful nitrogen oxide and reducing noise pollution, it said. The battery is able to recharge while the train is in operation, both in diesel and electric mode.
Andrew Barr, Group CEO of Hitachi Rail, said:"The Blues train, with its pioneering battery hybrid technology, is a hugely important way for railways across Europe to reduce their carbon emissions, while improving passengers' journeys." Neither Hitachi nor Trenitalia has offered an explanation as to why they decided to call it the Blues train, although the genre of African-American music has frequently drawn inspiration from rail travel – Junior Parker's"Mystery Train", Elizabeth Cotton's"Freight Train," and Howlin' Wolf's"Smokestack Lightning" being prime examples.