The three-car train, which has been branded Cityjet eco by ÖBB, will make its passenger debut on the St Pölten - Horn line in Lower Austria, where it will operate between September 9 and 13.
The train will be used on the lines from St Pölten to Hainfeld and Krems between September 16 and 20 and the Pöchlarn - Scheibbs line between September 23 and 27.
The tests will focus on the performance of the roof-mounted battery system in passenger operations. The aim is to use the findings from the pilot project to develop a series train for operation on non-electrified lines.
The 500kWh lithium-titanate battery system is charged when the train is operating on the 15kV ac electrification system. The train has a maximum output of 1.3MW in battery mode, with a maximum speed of 140km/h on non-electrified lines.
According to Austria’s Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), the train has a catenary-free range of around 80km, sufficient for operation on around 80% of the country’s non-electrified lines and 120km range is envisaged in the future as the technology matures.
BMVIT says the initial requirement for production Cityjet eco trains is estimated to be around 25 trains, primarily for lines in Lower Austria, the province with the highest concentration of non-electrified lines.
