Compact Battery Propulsion for Inclusive Regional Trains

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The aim of this collaborative project is to develop a comprehensive programme that will deliver a new zero-emission train specifically designed for low-floor commuter and suburban services, thereby supporting the decarbonisation of all railway transport by 2050\. The railway is a complex interconnected system and as a result change typically happens relatively gradually, requiring continual effort in development and progress, especially for the introduction of new technologies like batteries. Industry change is already underway, with electrification and hybrid propulsion gathering pace, and now needs to grow rapidly to implement the necessary renewals and upgrades. However, knowledge around the integration of batteries and related fire and safety risks are not yet growing at the required pace and there is concern that this will be a limiting factor in achieving our decarbonisation goals. This proposed project directly addresses that need with a comprehensive research programme aimed at optimising the design and the usage of the battery when the train travels in the non-electrified parts of the network. Our goal is to push the current limits of the energy density of the battery with a new design of the enclosure and the cooling system to enable the reduction of the volume and, hence, lower the train floor below existing levels. The design will be verified with a trusted railway simulator for several regional routes, and then used for the development of the first full-scale prototype shortly after the end of the project. The approach is comprehensive with a consortium assembled to cover all the necessary expertise to fully exploit the results of the research.