DENMARK: Local railway operator Midtjyske Jernbaner has put its first battery multiple-unit into passenger service as part of its ambition to become Denmark’s ‘greenest railway.’
The operator is to introduce seven Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B two-car BMUs on the 56 km Vemb – Lemvig – Thyborøn line and the 67 km Holstebro – Skjern route by the autumn. The first train entered limited passenger service on July 14, with the operator saying it glided silently away from the platform, filled with locals, tourists and enthusiasts.
Midtjyske Jernbaner opted for battery traction in 2019, when it was considering options to replace its fleet of eight Siemens Desiro and Duewag Lynette Y-train diesel multiple-units which between them have accumulated between 20 and more than 40 years of service.
Siemens Mobility was awarded the contract in March 2022, and the first two BMUs were delivered in February this year for an extensive testing and type approval process supervised by safety body Trafikstyrelsen.
‘New technology naturally entails a different and more extensive risk picture than the well-known diesel trains’, said Midtjyske Jernbaner director Martha Vrist. ‘It has been a pleasure to experience Trafikstyrelsen’s high professional level and great interest in investigating the previously unknown and solving the challenges we have encountered along the way.’
In parallel with the approvals process, the operator has trained staff and developed new operating procedures and safety plans. ‘It has required a great team effort and flexibility from the employees’, said Vrist. ‘Not everything has been smooth sailing, but we had faith that we would solve the challenges and bumps that would naturally come along the way.’
The initial two BMUs are being charged overnight at Vemb station. The full BMU service will require the completion of further charging facilities which are being installed at Lemvig, Holstebro and Skjern stations.
The new trains will enable the replacement of the distinctive Duewag Lynette Y-trains which have been running for more than 40 years on the Lemvig route which is celebrated in popular song VLTJ by local band Tørfisk.
‘They have been part of our DNA for many years, and many of our passengers have a special relationship with the red-orange-white trains. But the old trains are worn out – as they sing on the very last verse – and we can no longer get spare parts for them’, said Vrist. ‘They will be retired, while we expect to sell our Desiro trains, which normally run on the Holstebro – Skjern route. The transition to the new battery trains will be a big change, but at the same time a completely natural development that suits us and our strategy of wanting to be Denmark’s greenest railway.’
