Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) and Hitachi Rail are celebrating five years since the first run of the DENCHA train, the world’s first battery-powered passenger train charged by AC overhead lines. Having seen the fleet cut carbon emissions, the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, reaffirmed its commitment to alternative fuel transport offer for passengers and operators across the world.
The BEC819 series trains – branded DENCHA – completed its first journey between Wakamatsu and Orio in October 2016 and have since completed over 5 million kilometres in passenger service in the northern Kyushu region. With a top speed of 120 km/h, nearly 80% of the distance covered – 4 million kilometres – by the 18 train fleet has been on non-electrified sections of the route.
Thanks to the innovative battery technology, the DENCHA train is capable in running in two modes: on electrified sections it runs from the overhead AC power, on non-electrified sections it runs in battery mode. Additionally, the trains feature a low energy loss main circuit system that reuses regenerative energy from braking and benefits from fast charging while stopped at stations.Advertisement
The trains, which won the Japan Railfan Club’s Blue Ribbon Award, significantly reduced the railway’s impact on the environment, saving over 2.7 million kg of CO2from being emitted into the atmosphere over the five year period. Furthermore, the trains are far quieter than the diesel trains they replaced and release no NOx emissions.