According to MJBA, which serves the Holstebro-Skjern and Vemb-Lemvig-Thyborøn train lines in north-west Denmark, the battery trains will be first-of-their-kind in the country and will replace its current diesel train set from the end of 2024.
The purchase of the trains, which has been pre-approved by the Central Jutland Region and the Danish state, will form the basis for rolling out battery train operations on other regional routes throughout Denmark as the country works toward achieving CO2-neutral train operations nationwide.
“We have been through a long and educational tender process, and we are pleased to have reached this point, where we can tell both our employees, customers, and the rest of the world about the outcome of that process. In the last phase of the tender, there were two suppliers who chose to submit final bids. After careful evaluation, we have concluded that it is Siemens Mobility that will help to put us on the Danish map as the first railway with battery trains, and we look forward to the cooperation that will help bring us toward a greener future,” said Arne Lægaard, chairman of the board, MJBA.
The first battery trains are expected to operate on the West Jutland tracks between Holstebro and Skjern and Vemb, Lemvig and Thyborøn as early as the end of 2024, and all seven train sets are expected to run from January 2025. After that, MJBA’s current diesel train set will be retired.
As part of Denmark’s Infrastructure Plan 2035, which was adopted in the summer of 2021, MJBA was allocated Kr 330m (US$49m) for the purchase of battery trains and charging infrastructure.
“One of the main purposes of the infrastructure plan is to support the green transition within public transport in Denmark with a view to making it CO2 neutral. The purchase of our battery trains thus marks a historic milestone, both for us and for public transport, which is well on its way to a more sustainable future,” MJBA director, Martha Vrist.
The battery trains will be from Siemens Mobility’s Mireo Plus B range and will be subject to an approval process with the Danish transport Authority before they are allowed to operate on the Danish rail network.
“The construction of the charging infrastructure for our new battery train has given rise to another exciting project, where we, in collaboration with Lemvig Municipality and our climate lighthouse Klimatorium, rethink our entire station area as a green climate area. We are also in dialogue with Midttrafik about charging their upcoming battery buses, just as we will offer motorists to charge their electric cars. We are thus thinking of a 3-in-1 solution that will play together with the area we live in and lean 100% on Lemvig Municipality's strong climate profile,” added Vrist.