Retrofitting electric railways for the future

The autonomous railcars boost efficiency and reduce costs

Spotted: The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that rail is one of the most energy-efficient modes of transport, carrying eight per cent of the world’s passengers and seven per cent of global freight, while using only two per cent of total transport energy demand.

US-based freight technology company Intramotev wants to help further develop the world’s use of rail transport by retrofitting existing trains and networks. The company’s battery-electric self-propelled rail car, TugVolt, works like a truck, able to travel and stop in smaller spaces such as mining sites, ports, and manufacturing plant railyards.

TugVolt railcars combine electric drivetrains with the low-energy-use steel wheels and steel rails of traditional train systems. The cars contain a sensor and connected vision system for short-distance stopping and tracking of potential obstacles or risks, making them ideal for first- and last-mile transport. Intramotev’s second product, ReVolt, turns waste energy from engine braking into a regenerative power source.

Currently in use commercially at several partner locations, Intramotev reports that customers are achieving a 30 to 80 per cent reduction in operating expenses, along with a general increase in overall transport efficiency. In order to expand access to its technology, Intramotev is working with federal regulators to bring its electric railcars onto routes that are interchange-connected.

Having recently closed an oversubscribed series A funding round that raised $14.4 million, Intramotev plans to further develop its network of partners and clients abroad and nationally to retrofit as many railway systems as possible.

Written By: Keely Khoury