MBTA Introduces Innovative Catenary-Battery Trains: Emission Reduction and Fuel Savings

MBTA to Deploy Catenary-Battery Trains on Boston Passenger Lines, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has approved $54 million in funding to purchase catenary-battery trains for the Fairmount Line.

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The first of these trains are expected to be operational by 2028. The initiative for introducing the new rolling stock was presented by Keolis Commuter Services in December 2023.

The transition to catenary-battery trains will allow MBTA to use electric traction without fully electrifying the railway network.

The batteries will be charged at stations equipped with catenary systems.

This approach will save 6 million liters of fuel annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 17.7 thousand tons, significantly improving the environmental situation compared to diesel trains.

Advancements in battery traction technology are enabling new train models to cover greater distances.

In the spring of 2024, the Class 230 battery train from Great Western Railway (GWR) in the UK traveled 138 km (86 miles) between Long Marston and Honeybourne without recharging.

In Germany, four Mireo Plus B trains from Siemens Mobility, which operate on batteries, began service this spring. These trains can travel up to 120 km without connecting to the electric grid and are 25% cheaper to maintain compared to diesel counterparts.

Thus, the transition to catenary-battery trains is a significant step towards modernizing Massachusetts’ transportation system and reducing its environmental impact.

The implementation of new technologies will not only cut operational costs but also improve the quality of passenger transportation.

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