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4/20/2021
MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has entered into an agreement with Alstom to test batteries that could enable electric rail cars to travel on the railroad’s diesel branches, LIRR President Phillip Eng announced yesterday.
Upon successful completion of an eight-month initial analysis, technicians will retrofit a two-car-long electric train to operate on battery power without passengers on the Oyster Bay Branch. The branch was chosen as the pilot site due to its short, 13-mile length, LIRR officials said in a press release.
While on electric portions of the route, the train would run on third-rail power and charge the batteries, then switch to battery power for the unelectrified segment between East Williston and Oyster Bay.
If successful, LIRR ultimately coudl transport passengers directly between Oyster Bay and its terminals in New York City without the need for a transfer. The technology could be expanded to the rest of the railroad’s diesel branches.
"This appears to be the first test of battery-powered commuter rail cars in North America, and if successful could be deployed anywhere diesel commuter trains operate on the LIRR or Metro-North Railroad," said Eng. "If batteries succeed on the LIRR as they have for light rail in Europe and Asia, the use of battery-powered rail cars promises over the long term to eliminate the need for transfers to a separate diesel fleet to reach the railroad’s expansive unelectrified regions."