Hungary to introduce zero-emission hybrid trains within the next decade

Within the next ten years, The Hungarian State Railways (MÁV-Start) plans the replacement of the recently used BZ-Mot diesel-powered railway trains – which have been running since the 1970s – for the most modern zero-emission vehicles.

As the Hungarian news portal Origo reports, these will be powered by a pantograph on the overhead lines and by an internal battery on the non-electrified sections. 

As the railway company writes in its announcement, basically two types of vehicles can be diversified in the case of double-acting multiple units.

• diesel-electric and electric overhead line hybrid multiple units;
• hybrid electric multiple units with zero emissions (pollutants), which may be either battery and overhead electric trains, or, e.g. hydrogen-powered (fuel cell) vehicles.

Of these, MÁV-Start intends to procure battery-powered double-acting electric vehicles. 

This technology is a novelty worldwide, and over the next ten years, the goal is for these low-end vehicles to serve passengers on low-traffic extension lines instead of the current diesel-powered trains.

MÁV-Start has launched a European Union public procedure for the procurement of twenty 200-seats and thirty 150-seats new, zero-emission hybrid electric motor trains. The 200-seat vehicles are scheduled to arrive in 2023-2024, while the 150-seat trains will probably get to Hungary between 2024 and 2029.

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The hybrid vehicle is a technically innovative solution not only in Hungary but in Europe as well. Up to now, only the German province of Schleswig-Holstein decided to purchase 55 Stadler Flirt Akku motor trains last autumn.

The vehicles are equipped with modern passenger comfort; they are quiet, air-conditioned, equipped with electrical outlets and USB connectors.

Just like in the case of electric vehicles, the length of a single charge is critical for electric trainsets. It needs to be heated from a battery in the winter and cooled in the summer, and these might be challenging for the cells. 

Despite the drawbacks, current diesel-powered vehicles cannot be used for a long time due to the strict carbon regulations. Even now, only those diesel engines are permitted on the market that meet the so-called Stage V emission limits, but manufacturers do not yet offer vehicles that do so. 

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Even though, the old motor trains, railcars and locomotives that are already running may remain for the time being; still, the International Railway Association plans to require zero-emission operation for its members by 2050.

Source: origo.hu