en.Wedoany.com Reported - Czech Railways is testing the new RegioPanter battery-powered electric multiple units (BEMU) at the VUZ Velim test center in collaboration with Škoda Group. These tests are in preparation for a €143.7 million contract signed in June 2024, involving the delivery of 15 new trains that will expand Czech Railways' battery-electric train fleet in the Moravia-Silesia region.

The agreement includes 15 two-car 690-series RegioPanter BEMUs, along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years. The new trains will join four identical units already in service, bringing the regional fleet total to 19. Phased deployment begins in December 2024 for the new S7 line (Ostrava–Český Těšín–Frýdek-Místek) and will be completed by March 2027, serving five routes.

This new BEMU procurement differs from approaches in the UK, where Hitachi Rail is retrofitting batteries onto existing vehicles. During trials with Great Western Railway in 2024, Hitachi retrofitted a five-car Class 802 intercity train with batteries, enabling it to travel 86 kilometers on battery power alone. Czech Railways invests in a new custom fleet, while the Hitachi project demonstrates an alternative capital strategy of upgrading existing assets.

The order highlights the trend of European transportation decarbonizing regional lines using battery-electric technology. Through BEMUs, Czech Railways can create seamless journeys across electrified and non-electrified routes, eliminating diesel trains and inconvenient transfers. This exemplifies a pragmatic approach to achieving EU climate targets, already adopted by multiple European operators.

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