The Anonymous Widower

Hybrid Trains In The Former East Germany

In my travels from Göttingen, most of the local trains were diesel multiple units as local lines like the South Harz Railway are not electrified. On the other hand, the main lines through Göttingen, are all electrified.

In September 2016, I wrote German Trains With Batteries, which indicated a project in Germany to create hybrid trans, based at technical universities in Chemnitz and Dresden.

As some of the journeys I took in diesel trains, were under electrification, it would certainly appear that the German’s approach is sensible.

There would also appear to be lots of lines without electrification and diesel passenger services all over the area.

• Annaberg-Buchholz–Flöha Railway
• Bautzen–Bad Schandau Railway
• Chemnitz–Adorf Railway
• Flöha Valley Railway
• Gera Süd–Weischlitz Railway
• Glauchau–Wurzen Railway
• Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg Railway
• Herlasgrün–Oelsnitz Railway
• Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt Railway
• Löbau–Zittau Railway
• Mid-Germany Railway
• Vejprty–Annaberg-Buchholz Railway
• Zwickau–Schwarzenberg Railway

If the universities can come up with an economic and practical solution, there are certainly a lot of places to use these hybrid trains.

I think it is interesting to compare the German approach with that of Porterbrook/Northern with their development of the Class 319 Flex train.

• The Germans are starting with a diesel Desiro Classic, whereas the British are starting with an electric Class 319 train.
• Batteries are an important part of the German solution, but may not be part of the British one.
• The German trains are nowhere near as old as the thirty-years-old British ones.

But the objectives of the two projects are to improve passenger services without doing a lot of expensive electrification.

May 8, 2017 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 319 Flex (Class 769) Train, Electrification, Germany, Trains