Austrian transport operator orders up to 120 trains from Stadler
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have awarded Stadler a framework agreement for up to 120 battery trains of the type Flirt Akku. The framework agreement has not yet been signed, but the Austrians are holding out the prospect of ordering 16 units in the first round.
According to Stadler, the signing of the framework agreement and the first order for 16 Flirt Akku is scheduled for autumn 2023. Technical changes for the ÖBB order are not mentioned in the announcement. According to Stadler, the battery-electric model of the Flirt type series has an operational range of around 100 kilometres.
The 100 kilometres apply without an overhead line. On electrified sections with overhead lines, the traction motors can draw their power from the grid, while the batteries are charged in parallel. The Flirt battery can also recuperate energy during braking. “This means that the regional train can be battery operated on almost all of the non-electrified routes in Austria,” the manufacturer writes.
Stadler’s battery trains are intended for use on non-electrified or only partially electrified lines, especially in eastern Austria, where they will replace the existing diesel fleet. By charging the traction batteries while travelling under catenary, the Flirt Akku enable “sustainable rail operation on non-electrified line sections”.
A few days ago, the Italian railway operators Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti (ARST) and Ferrovie della Calabria (FdC) awarded Stadler two framework agreements for the delivery and maintenance of up to 25 hydrogen-electric trains. The first twelve vehicles have already been ordered on a binding basis.
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