They are based on the RegioPanter electric trains, but can also run on non-electrified lines, and the battery train has a range of 80 kilometers. The first four units will run in the Moravian-Silesian Region, and the Pilsen Region is also involved in the project. According to their Deputy General Director Jiří Ješeta, Czech Railways has already ordered another 15 cars from Škoda, which will be available at the end of 2026. "These are completely new battery trains that are starting to be produced, developed and approved. Whereas the first four units are actually standard RegioPanters retrofitted with batteries," Ješeta said earlier.

They have a range of 80 kilometers for driving at maximum speed, which is 120 kilometers per hour in battery mode, and 160 km per hour in electric traction. However, local lines usually run at 60 to 80 km per hour, so the range will be longer than 80 kilometers.

According to Ješeta, the operating costs of battery trains can be viewed in different ways. "If we also take into account the construction of infrastructure, i.e. the electrification of 20 to 30 kilometers of side tracks that lead from the main electrified line, it will cost billions. At the same time, a battery train costs 30 to 40 million crowns more than an electric one," he said. The current price of a two-car electric RegioPanter is around 117 million crowns.

It is also necessary to check whether charging stations are necessary, or to devise connections where they do not need to be. A charging station costs 50 to 60 million CZK and requires high voltage power, so it cannot be built everywhere.

Lower noise is also an advantage

Unlike the classic RegioPanter trains that run in most regions and abroad, electric trains have boxes on the roof with powerful LTO batteries with a long lifespan and high safety. A special heating and cooling system keeps them at an optimal temperature. Modern converters reduce losses and extend the life of the batteries, which can be charged from both the DC and AC networks in about 30 minutes.

"The battery train is also much quieter and does not produce local emissions. It is equipped with the European ETCS security system," added Škoda Group spokesman Jan Švehla.

The Škoda Group has been producing battery-powered locomotives since the 1930s. Its battery-powered trams, which can also handle sections without trolleys, have been running in Turkey since 2015. Škoda also produces trolleybuses that combine power from trolleys with batteries.

Изготвено от екипа на ЧехТрейд София

Източник:. novinky.cz