5 ms·
Overhead power lines require maintenance too, and getting 100% coverage often involves disproportionate spend on short sections that are expensive to cover and
by jnty 8y ago
Overhead power lines require maintenance too, and getting 100% coverage often involves disproportionate spend on short sections that are expensive to cover and maintain. Getting rid of masts on those sections - or even whole lines - could be a massive cost saving.
Additionally, Germany is a big train tech exporter, and there's lots of unelectrified route miles in Europe and the world, many of which would be totally uneconomical to electrify.
- athenot 8y ago> Additionally, Germany is a big train tech exporter They are, but the article mentions that these particular ones are built by the French TGV-maker Alstom.
- nebalee 8y agoThey are built by their german division Alstom Transport Deutschland (former Linke-Hofmann-Busch) in Salzgitter and Alstom is about to merge with Siemens Mobility.
- frabert 8y agoThe batteries are supposed to eliminate the need for 100% coverage, though, isn't it?
- ed_balls 8y agoyou don't want to remove 100% since you want to charge the batteries somewhere. Also it maybe more economical to keep 1km of power lines after the station when the train is accelerating - main power consumption.
- aembleton 8y agoThat's a great idea. You could just put the overhead charging infrastructure at a few stations on the line. Just enough to top the batteries up. Most of the energy could probably be recovered through regenerative braking, but of course some will be lost through mechanical and air resistance. This would be so much simpler than electrifying the whole line and much easier to maintain. This infrastructure is often already at key stations, and so it might require no extra work to implement them. Just more money for the battery powered trains.
- cevn 8y agoGotta put little spinny generator fans and solar panels on the train too. Perpetual motion! edit: also I don't think your idea will 100% work because it would take some time to charge the trains at the stations.
- jiveturkey 8y agoCould they not convert to third rail?