A new railway maintenance vehicle is said to be the world’s biggest battery-electric machine designed to keep railways safe and clean.
The machine can be used to vacuum away stones, trash and other obstacles from the tracks, melt snow, as well as function as a towing vehicle for, among other things, ballast wagons during track work.
Swedish manufacturer Railcare Group used Epiroc-developed technology to design the battery-powered version of its Multi-Purpose Vehicle for rail maintenance applications.
Epiroc has developed a battery-electric technology platform that is modular and scalable, with batteries supplied by Northvolt. Although the battery system is designed primarily with the mining industry in mind it is also well suited for other types of machines that operate in tough environments and are traditionally powered by diesel engines.
Epiroc is collaborating with Railcare to provide its electric driveline technology and sees the launch of the vehicle as an important part of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Railcare highlights a huge worldwide demand for this type of solution, especially in city centers, tunnels and mines where exhaust fumes and noise levels are a major environmental problem. It sees the machine as a game-changer for the entire railway industry.
In another similar collaboration, Swedish equipment manufacturer Jama recently launched the world’s first battery-powered underground scaler, also using Epiroc’s technology.
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