According ACRI (Association of Czech Railway Industry), Czech rail manufacturers are able to offer alternative propulsion systems using fuel and electric power. Rail vehicle manufacturers already have suitable alternative fuel vehicles available. For example, Škoda Group offers its customers two-source trams that contain accumulator batteries for off-track range. Siemens Mobility has a dual-source electric traction unit  the Mireo Plus B, derived from the standard Mireo electric traction unit. The battery range is approximately 80 to 100 kilometres. The Mireo Plus H traction unit then uses hydrogen for energy storage. 

Solutions to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas and noise emissions are also being developed by CZ Loko in the field of two-engine locomotives.

The hot topic of today´s transportation is reducing energy consumption and especially saving fossil fuels

This also applies significantly to transport, as 93% of energy consumption for transport in the Czech Republic is imported fossil fuels. Vehicles with alternative propulsion are gradually appearing in service and will soon be on the Czech railways. "The great advantage of rail transport is that it has highly energy-efficient and emission-free electrical systems for rail, metro and trams in passenger and freight transport. Electricity for them represents only 2% of the total energy consumption for transport in the Czech Republic and at the same time it accounts for 21% of the transport performance in the Czech Republic. The challenge of ensuring the mobility of people and goods independently of fossil fuel imports has a real solution," says Marie Vopálenská, Director General of the Association of Czech Railway Industry Companies ACRI.

The electrification of railway lines is a prerequisite for saving fossil fuels used to power independent traction vehicles. In the Czech Republic, overhead contact lines are currently installed on approximately 1/3 of the more than 9,500 kilometres of railway lines. The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport has approved the electrification of another 700 kilometres of railway lines, and feasibility studies are being prepared for another 600 kilometres.

Thanks to innovative vehicles with rechargeable batteries, the development of line electrification is helping to introduce emission-free running not only on electrified lines but also on surrounding lines. Further electrification will shorten the length of the carriage arms on non-electrified lines, reducing the range requirements of traction battery vehicles and providing additional opportunities for their rapid high-performance charging via the traction line power collector. This can be done both when stationary in a station where overhead lines are available and dynamically while driving on an electrified railway line.

Prepared by the team of CzechTrade Qatar

Source: www.cianews.cz/en; ACRI, Skoda Group