Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has awarded Stadler a framework agreement for up to 120 Cityjet battery trains of Flirt model that will replace the current diesel fleet and will enable sustainable operation on lines that are only partially electrified. EUR 1.3 billion is the value of the framework agreement which will be implemented within the next ten years.
The signing of the framework agreement and the initial order for 16 Cityjet battery trains is expected to take place in autumn 2023.
The first batch of Flirt Akku battery multiple units is expected to be in service along the Kamptalbahn route from 2028 and represents another measure that ÖBB is implementing to decarbonise rail transport in Austria.
The new trains are Flirt Akku multiple units – the battery-powered version of Stadler’s best-selling Flirt model, which has already sold over 2,500 units worldwide.
They are intended for use in the eastern region in Austria, where they will replace the current diesel fleet. The Flirt Akku model allows sustainable rail operation on non-electrified line sections by charging the traction batteries while travelling under an overhead contact line.
Stadler’s modern battery-powered vehicles can run both with and without overhead contact lines, and can be recharged during operation or even when braking. The Flirt Akku is the battery-operated version of Stadler’s Flirt model.
The vehicle has an operating range of around 100 kilometres. This means that the regional train can be battery operated on almost all of the non-electrified routes in Austria, for example. After successfully covering 224 kilometres in battery-only mode, the Flirt Akku holds the world record for the longest journey travelled by a regional train in battery-only mode without additional charging.
As well as delivering new trains for ÖBB, Stadler is also supplying 55 Flirt Akku battery trains for the Schleswig-Holstein local transport network, 44 trains for the Palatinate network and 14 trains for Deutsche Bahn’s H-Netz. The vehicles for Schleswig-Holstein are currently undergoing approval tests and will start passenger service later this year. In addition, Stadler is also manufacturing six Flirt Akku for the Lithuanian rail operator LTG Link.
This contract and the recent successes in the USA, Germany and Italy once again confirm Stadler’s leading position in battery and hydrogen green propulsion technology.
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