THE pre-demonstrator passenger version of the Ecotrain autonomous lightweight battery vehicle has been unveiled in France at the Tours works of rolling stock manufacturer Socofer. It has been developed with €4.42m of central government funding under a research programme intended to reduce the cost of operating, maintaining and reopening minor lines while increasing service frequencies.
Development of the first vehicle, presented on April 29, has been led by Stratiforme Industries which produces composite bodyshell components for high-speed trains and other rolling stock. The 12.1m-long twin-axle vehicle has a lightweight metal frame built by Socofer which weighs 1.85 tonnes, and is powered by lithium-ion batteries weighing 2.77 tonnes.
Total weight is 9.4 tonnes when empty and a maximum of 16 tonnes when loaded. The Ecotrain vehicle will have capacity for up to 32 passengers, with two wheelchair spaces, within the passenger compartment that is 8.25m long, 2.65m wide and 2.45m high. Maximum axleload is 8 tonnes, which combined with self-steering axles will reduce rail wear and track maintenance costs.
With installed battery power of 205kW, the driverless vehicle will have a maximum speed of 100km/h. Systems installed to enable automatic train operation (ATO) without lineside signalling include cameras and Lidar to detect obstacles up to 300m ahead, while disc brakes and an electromagnetic emergency braking system enable an Ecotrain vehicle travelling at 70km/h to come to a stand within 70m.
The Ecotrain is not equipped with couplers as vehicles will be operate at up 10 seconds apart, according to demand. Energy consumption per passenger will be 15 times less than an electric car, depending on passenger load.
The pre-demonstrator has been tested in autonomous mode on a track next to the Socofer works and is due to start trials on a 2km section at Gièvres later this month. However, it is expected that the freight version of Ecotrain will be the first to go into revenue service in 2029.
Equipped with bodyside doors for loading wheeled Microfret containers, the freight model will operate on the line from Rivesaltes to Axat in the Occitanie region of southern France which is supporting the Ecotrain project. This line is mainly used by a tourist service and is currently being ungraded.
Central government funding for the project to date has been provided via green development agency Ademe under the France 2030 programme. The promoters must now find substantial additional funding by the end of this year if the project is to be scaled up, with testing to help define the interior layout of the Ecotrain vehicle.
