SPAIN: Basque regional operator Euskotren and CAF have agreed to research jointly an on-board energy storage system based on supercapacitors, with the aim of installing a prototype on one of the operator’s trains.

As part of its Euskotren 21 programme, the railway ordered 27 three-car EMUs from CAF on December 19 at a cost of €128·9m. CAF has 50 months to supply the trains, which are intended to replace older units approaching life-expiry. The first five sets are to be delivered in 2011 and the remainder by 2013. They will be fitted with CAF’s Cosmos train control system and regenerative braking to minimise energy consumption.