Hitachi Rail unveils long-distance hybrid battery trains in Italy

Hitachi Rail has unveiled its first long-distance hybrid battery train which will help cut carbon emissions by 83% when it enters service later this year.

The train is the first of seven intercity hybrid battery trains for Italian transport company Trenitalia, which will run on routes between Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia.

The intercity battery train uses innovative hybrid technology allowing it to draw from battery, electric, hybrid and diesel power.

The hybrid driving mode allows energy recovery during deceleration and braking, and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 83%, states Hitachi Rail in a release, compared to current diesel-powered trains.

“Our hybrid intercity battery train is a sustainable, innovative train with cutting-edge performance”, said Luca D’Aquila, COO of the Hitachi Rail Group and CEO of Hitachi Rail Italy.

“Our train is designed to make journeys even safer, more comfortable and greener, supporting Trenitalia in its goal of equipping the country with a fleet of modern trains for the benefit of passengers and the environment.”

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The fleet is equipped with an innovative air conditioning system which optimises consumption based on the number of passengers on board, enhanced bike stations and substantial luggage transport capacity.

The intercity battery train can reach a top speed of 160km/h with an acceleration of 1.10m/sec2.

The new trains are being deployed as part of a wider €1.23 billion ($1.33 billion) ‘Blues’ framework agreement between Trenitalia and Hitachi Rail, announced in December 2022, and are an evolution of the Masaccio ‘Blues’ trains built under the same framework.

These ‘four-mode’ Blues trains are able to operate on electrified and non-electrified lines. On electrified routes, it uses pantographs to draw power from the overhead lines.

However, when it moves to non-electrified lines, usually smaller regional routes, a combination of battery and diesel power takes over.

When it is near a station, the batteries power the train completely, eliminating emissions including harmful NOx and reducing noise pollution. The battery is able to recharge while the train is in operation, both in diesel and electric mode.

The overall framework agreement consists of an order of 135 Blues trains running across Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, Lazio and Friuli Venezia Giulia.