Voltify raises USD 30 million for diesel train conversion

Diesel-to-electric train conversion is at the center of Voltify’s plan. The Israeli startup raised USD 30 million in seed funding. It says the technology is intended to transform how rail transport is powered.

Aleph and mining company Fortescue led the round, as reported by Calcalist. The Menomadin fund, controlled by entrepreneur Haim Tayeb, also took part. So did the Jimpact and The Dock funds, along with other private investors.

How Voltify approaches diesel-to-electric train conversion?

Voltify was founded in 2024 by Dafna Langer and Alon Kessel. It says it proposes a way to move from diesel to electricity. At the same time, the solution avoids investment in traditional electrification infrastructure. That includes overhead contact lines along the track.

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Its system combines battery-powered locomotives. It also includes a dynamic on-the-go charging system. In addition, it uses local energy microgrids. According to Voltify, they generate and store renewable energy locally.

Also, Voltify says the solution does not require stops for recharging. It also says it avoids permanent dependence on the central power grid.

Rail operator energy costs and the business case

Voltify says the main objective is to reduce rail operator energy costs. For example, it points to the United States. It says six largest rail operators there spend about USD 11 billion a year on diesel.

CEO and co-founder Dafna Langer said Voltify was created to address the cost of energy. She described that as one of the rail industry’s biggest problems. She said the platform would let operators switch to cleaner, cheaper energy. It would not change their operating methods. She also said a cost reduction of over 20% could fundamentally transform the economics of rail operations.

Pilot agreement, orders and emissions targets

Meanwhile, Voltify also says it has signed a paid pilot agreement. The operator is described as one of the world’s largest, as Railway Pro reports. Implementation is expected to begin soon.

In the company’s stated sequence, that pilot comes first. A first full-scale system would follow next year. In addition, the company says regional operators in the United States have placed orders. It describes that portfolio as growing. That system would include a locomotive, the charging system, and the associated power grid.

Also, Voltify links its strategy to emissions reduction. By its estimates, the technology could reduce more than 50 million tons of annual carbon emissions. It says that figure covers rail operations alone. It says that could happen in less than a decade.

At the same time, the company points to local energy microgrids. It says they would deliver part of that reduction. Those systems would be based on solar energy and storage. It also says they would reduce dependence on polluting power grids. They would also reduce the volatility of energy prices.

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