Schleswig-Holstein in the fast lane: Battery trains revolutionize the train!

Schleswig-Holstein in the fast lane: Battery trains revolutionize the train!

Schleswig-Holstein has made impressive progress in the field of electrification of railway lines in recent years. For a long time, the state was considered the bottom of only 27 percent of electrified routes, but the introduction of battery trains has changed the landscape. A current report emphasizes that Schleswig-Holstein has now risen to second place in Germany.

From Monday, three new battery brackets of the Nordbahn will drive on the route between Eckernförde and Kiel. This innovation is part of a comprehensive strategy that enables the country to catch up with flexible technology. The use of battery trains no longer needs special overhead line islands at train stations to charge the trains instead of fully electrifying each route. This represents a cost -efficient solution to reduce the environmental impact of diesel.

Future of mobility in Schleswig-Holstein

In addition to the trains between Eckernförde and Kiel, further lines are being planned. By mid-December, the areas from Husum to Kiel as well as St. Peter-Ording and the Kiel-Schleibrücke-Süd route are also to be operated with battery braces. According to estimates, around 41 percent of the railway lines in Schleswig-Holstein will then drive from battery wets, while the electrification of the remaining routes continues. It is expected that the proportion of electrified routes increases to 68 percent.

With this innovation, Schleswig-Holstein not only moved to second place in the nationwide ranking, but also has the intention to save ten million liters of diesel and 26,000 tons of CO2 every year, which is a significant contribution to climate protection.

The first problems with the battery brackets, which occurred in December 2023 due to software errors and led to limited timetables, have now been remedied by an update. The trains should now be more reliable, which is a welcome relief for travelers.

Currently there are already 52 battery brackets, which has exceeded expectations. Nordbahn and Erixx are the main operators of these modern trains and have already successfully implemented some routes, including Neumünster - Büsum and Kiel - Lübeck.

The changes due to the introduction of the battery brackets have brought Schleswig-Holstein into the focus of the discussion about modern rail traffic strategies. Developments in the railway landscape are still being observed closely because they can set important impulses for the country's entire mobility strategy. The responsibility for the expansion and maintenance of this infrastructure is now in the hands of the operator and the state government.

For further information and the latest developments in this area, see the current reporting on www.ndr.de .