České dráhy considers purchase of battery and hydrogen trains, seeks zero-emissions replacement for commuter trains
Czech Railways is looking for alternative fuel vehicles of four different sizes.
České dráhy (ČD) is again considering the acquisition of vehicles with alternative propulsion in the form of batteries (BEMU) or hydrogen (HMU). It has announced preliminary market consultations, which are the first step in conducting a tender for the purchase of such vehicles. Last month the operator signed a contract for the purchase of four battery units from Škoda Transportation without a tender, and a tender for other similar units is underway.
In the documentation, the company states that it plans to purchase 100–200 such vehicles. Manufacturers are required to have such trains approved for operation in Germany, Austria, and Poland.
České dráhy is interested in four types of vehicles depending on the number of seats from 50 to 240. The manufacturers should inform ČD which vehicles they can offer with regards to range.
The new vehicles will replace diesel trains and units. The company has contacted all rolling stock manufacturers in Europe and has also sent a request to the European representative of the Chinese manufacturer CRRC. The deadline for submitting information is June 1.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková