Hesop captures braking energy from trains and redirects it for use elsewhere. Alstom says this is the first system to be installed in Germany and the first instance of Hesop being provided as a standalone product operating in full conversion mode.

Alstom and Hamburger Hochbahn signed a letter-of-intent to test Hesop in September 2018, and the system was installed last year at Rauhes Haus station. Hesop is a reversible power substation which both supplies traction voltage to a network and recovers braking energy from trains. The installation in Hamburg is designed to capture 99% of train braking energy, which is then redirected for use within the station. Any excess energy is returned to the grid.

“Hesop is one of our responses to operators’ need for increased energy efficiency,” says Mr Jörg Nikutta, managing director of Alstom Germany and Austria. “It is an important element of the clean, efficient public transport of the future, offering unique economic and environmental benefits.”

Alstom has received orders or installed 125 Hesop units for metros in Milan, Riyadh, London, Dubai and Panama as well as light rail systems in Sydney and Milan.