Los Ferrocarriles Checos están actualizando su infraestructura con la compra prevista de más de 40 trenes eléctricos y de baterías. Los BEMU (battery electric multiple units) son vagones de doble fuente que pueden funcionar con electricidad transmitida por cables aéreos o con baterías recargables. Por tanto, no utilizan combustibles fósiles como el carbón o el gasóleo y no emiten gases de efecto invernadero. Los trenes BEMU de pasajeros ya se utilizan en Japón y Austria.<br/>
Fifteen of the over 40 trains that Czech Railways is planning to purchase will be battery-electric units with 140 seats each, while a further 27 will be electric only. Czech Railways already have the approval of the supervisory board and management committee for negotiations with potential suppliers and a call for tenders is being prepared. An agreement has already been reached with the Škoda Group that they will supply the first four units without competition.<br/>
Although battery-electric trains are currently more expensive to purchase at the outset than petrol or diesel railcars, one advantage is that they don’t require electric ground rails, which have very high maintenance costs. Modern battery-electric trains have the ability to operate on both electrified and unelectrified types of track. The batteries can be charged at charging stations or from electrified tracks.<br/>
Fuente: radio.cz<br/>
Elaborado por el equipo de la oficina de CzechTrade en Santiago de Chile.