The world’s first battery train fast-charging station, developed by Stadtwerken Tübingen (swt) and Furrer+Frey, is going into series production after a successful series of tests. The first four Voltap stations will be used by Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn.

12. November 2022 – Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn-AG has selected the Voltap innovation from Tübingen/Bern for the expansion of its rail charging infrastructure in Brandenburg. The contract has now been awarded as part of a Europe-wide invitation to tender. This will enable the rail company to charge its 31 battery trains, to be used on the East Brandenburg network, considerably more flexibly. Voltap fast-charging stations are planned in a total of four locations: Beeskow, Templin, Werneuchen and Wriezen.

The project is funded as part of the BMDV’s rail funding guideline, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport in the amount of 2.3 million euros. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).

“With the four fast-charging stations, Voltap is providing part of the infrastructure in Brandenburg that will soon allow battery trains to be used there. That accelerates the mobility transition, because you don’t have to wait years for electrification”, says Ortwin Wiebecke, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Tübingen.

“With Voltap‘s innovative solution, we can set up a decentralized overhead charging infrastructure for the battery-electric Mireo multiple unit trains of NEB in the East Brandenburg network far from electrified routes from the end of 2024. In addition to preconditioning the trains, this safeguards operational stability”, says Detlef Bröcker, Managing Director of Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn-AG.

More about the project

Stadtwerke Tübingen and Furrer+Frey not only assume responsibility for the operation of the necessary technical connections and administrative approvals, but also for all necessary installations of the equipment for frost-free operation, preconditioning and charging of battery trains via their pantographs. Charging is planned with alternating voltage of 25 kilovolts (kV) at 50 Hertz. Depending on the location, up to five battery trains can be charged simultaneously.

More information at www.voltap.de