The first battery train in Croatia, manufactured by Končar – Electric Vehicles, was launched on Monday. The battery train is a two-part low-floor composition equipped with ramps for the entry and exit of wheelchair users, a space for bicycles, and toilets adapted for wheelchair access, while the entire passenger and external area is under video surveillance.
In the passenger area, monitors have been installed to display video content. In addition to visual and audio announcements at stations and stops, passengers on the train are provided with free internet access (WiFi). It has 113 seating and 114 standing places.
In operation, it is possible to functionally connect battery trains with new generation low-floor trains, ensuring greater capacity. The battery train will be used for passenger transport on the non-electrified railway network in Croatia (maximum speed 120 km/h). It will operate using batteries that are charged exclusively at charging stations, for a maximum of 30 minutes.
The train will run on the route Virovitica – Bjelovar, and it will also be used for testing charging stations that are in the final phase of construction. After the commissioning of the charging station at the Split Predgrađe station, expected in mid-December this year, the battery train will begin operating on the route Split – Kaštel Stari.
The battery train was produced as part of the project “Application of Green Technologies in Railway Passenger Transport,” which is funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 – 2026 (NPOO). As part of the project, an electro-battery train was also launched in May, which regularly operates on the route Zagreb – Bjelovar – Zagreb, and the project includes the construction of six charging stations at the stations Bjelovar, Virovitica, Osijek, Varaždin, Pula, and Split Predgrađe.
The total value of the project amounts to 17.1 million euros, of which 13.3 million euros is financed by the NPOO. The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković emphasized that the first battery train is a significant step forward for the domestic industry.
– HŽ Passenger Transport currently has 68 new trains, of which 40 were delivered in the last four years, and the procurement of another 21 new trains is underway, including additional battery and electro-battery trains. The new battery train, with an autonomy of about 200 kilometers, will operate on non-electrified tracks, and from December it will run in Split and its surroundings. The value of this project exceeds 17 million euros, and it is part of a broader investment in the railway system – said Butković.
The CEO of HŽ Passenger Transport, Željko Ukić, announced that modern “green” trains will replace old diesel ones. The CEO of Končar, Gordan Kolak, stated that the vehicles developed by Končar reduce harmful gas emissions and raise standards of comfort, safety, and travel quality, as stated in the press release.
