From Diesel to Electric Bimodal Train: Case Study in Italy for Decarbonization of Railway Lines

In Europe, decarbonization policies related to transportation systems, are becoming increasingly relevant and concrete to foster sustainable mobility of people and goods. In this perspective, the rail system plays an important role in the energy transition at both local and macroregional scales; in several cases, the opportunity to transform diesel-powered lines into electrified and/or battery-powered lines is under consideration. The goal of this work is a technical analysis for the transformation of the Milan-Lecco (S7) line located in a region of northern Italy currently with diesel traction. In particular, the section of 29.2 km between Monza and Molteno stations is analyzed. In this section, the solution of using battery-powered trains while avoiding the construction of catenary is evaluated. Within the case study, the vehicle type (train) is identified, the battery is sized, and a driving control analysis is performed. Specifically, speed, traction, power and energy diagrams were evaluated. In fact, the work represents an initial assessment about the technical feasibility of converting the line from diesel to electric traction.