Stadler has won a contract from the publicly-owned Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to supply up to 120 battery-powered trains.

The framework agreement will see Stadler‘s FLIRT Akku vehicles – the battery-powered version of Stadler’s FLIRT model – replace the current diesel fleet in Austria’s eastern region.

The trains’ traction batteries are charged by an overhead line, enabling them to operate on sections of line that are not yet electrified.

The two companies will sign the framework agreement this autumn, when the initial order for sixteen vehicles will be placed.

Stadler points out that rail is the most sustainable mode of transport, but that for its environmental benefits to be maximised, trains need to run on electric power rather than diesel. This presents a challenge in countries such as Austria whose rail network is only partially electrifiedor not electrifiedat all. The company has addressed this by developing vehicles with battery, hydrogen or even hybrid propulsion.

The FLIRT Akku has an operating range of around one hundred kilometres, and can therefore operate on almost all of the non-electrified routes in Austria. On one occasion, the train travelled 224 kilometres in battery-only mode, which is a world record for the longest journey travelled by a regional train in battery-only mode without additional charging.

Stadler is also supplying:

• 55 FLIRT Akku vehicles for the Schleswig-Holstein local transport network (currently undergoing approval tests and due to enter passenger service this year)
• 44 trains for the Palatinate network
• 14 trains for Deutsche Bahn‘s H-Netz.

Stadler is also developing rail vehicles that run on hydrogen, which allow low-emission rail operation, especially on lines without an overhead contact line. The company designed and built the first multiple unit with hydrogen propulsion for SBCTA in California, USA, which is due to start operating next year. It is also supplying the world’s first narrow-gauge trains with hydrogen propulsion for the  Calabria and Sardinia regions in Italy.

Stadler believes that these contracts confirm its leading position in battery and hydrogen green propulsion technology.

Peter Spuhler, Chair of Stadler’s Board of Directors, said, “If we are to meet the climate targets, rail transport in turn must become even more sustainable. That is why Stadler has invested heavily in green propulsion solutions to replace diesel fleets and has established its position as a leading provider of sustainable rail transport in recent years – both in Europe and the USA. We are delighted to be working with ÖBB to drive forward the decarbonisation of rail transport in Austria.”