Green Mobility: The Future of Sustainable Rail Transport

Rail is the greenest mass transport mode. In the EU, it handles 5% of passenger and 11% of freight transport, using only 1.5% of transport energy and emitting just 0.4% of transport greenhouse gases.

Green Alternative Power Sources for Rail Transport

Although rail is already firmly established as the greenest type of transportation, more can be done to make it an even stronger player in the green transition. Alternative power sources are on the rise, with several hybrid trains and hydrogen-powered trains already in operation. Moreover, electrification is progressing steadily, and the development of battery trains is gaining traction.

Eco- Friendly in Rail Design

In rail design and manufacturing, the focus is on using more environmentally friendly materials. The ecodesign trend is strong in new rolling stock, utilizing sustainable materials that facilitate easy disassembly and recycling. Additionally, equipment can be designed to minimize environmental impact during operation, such as consuming less energy due to reduced weight. Similarly, existing rolling stock can be refurbished and updated to align with these eco-friendly practices. .

Multi-modal Transport Ecosystem

When transitioning from fossil fuel cars to mass transit, rail must be complemented by other sustainable transport modes for the first and last mile. Achieving this multi-modal transport ecosystem requires robust digital integration, making sustainable travel user-friendly and seamless.

Innovative Train Battery Manufacturing

Akkodis is supporting a major railway OEM in defining a pre-project for a train battery production line, aiming for serial production soon. The project team leverages experience from Akkodis's collaboration with innovative EV battery developer ACC, Automotive Cells Co. ACC, a partnership between Stellantis, Mercedes, and Total-Energies, is building three European giga-factories to produce over 2 million lithium-ion batteries annually by 2030. The Akkodis team's automotive sector expertise is invaluable in designing the new production line. While car and train batteries differ, the rail sector can greatly benefit from automotive insights.

Optimizing Trains for Reduced Environmental Impact of Operations

Optimization is crucial for reducing the environmental impact of rail transportation. And when it comes to optimization, there is a lot to be learned from other domains such as automotive and aerospace. Traditionally, these issues have been more in focus in these sectors than in rail. Therefore, it makes good sense to translate experience and solutions from there into rail innovation. Akkodis leverages its aeronautics design expertise to recondition and improve passenger cars. Also, in aerospace, every kilogram counts and Akkodis is continually doing highly innovative work to push the boundaries of optimization in the sector. As an example, its electric hydrogen-powered concept aircraft Green&Fly, a light and small aircraft, powered by hydrogen fuel cell batteries and supercapacitors. The concept combines the latest technologies and scientific research to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

Akkodis leverages its aeronautics design expertise to recondition and improve passenger cars, translating innovative solutions from aerospace to rail.

Tapping into this expertise, an Akkodis team of engineers is contributing to the development of the new French very high-speed train, to be rolled out starting in 2025. Mechanical engineers have developed components for the train that will be 20% lighter and carry 20% more passengers than the current very high-speed trains. The new train is also expected to be 20% cheaper to operate and maintain.

Rolling Stock Reconditioning and Improvement – Digitally Accelerated

For a Spanish customer Akkodis has carried out an innovative reconditioning project, utilizing digital tools to reduce planning and simplify processes. The task was to recondition and improve passenger cars, and the design was realized by Akkodis’ aeronautics design department in Toulouse, drawing on the design team’s experience in the aerospace sector. The team built a 3D model of the car based on 2D drawings and used digital mock-ups in the development process. The project included the implementation of a repair solution and the installation of mechanical systems. Further, the reconditioning was done based on eco-design guidelines. The project has been special in several ways. Its focus was heavily on digital transformation, for instance converting paper drawings into digital 3D-models. Also, it involved several divisions and departments, to supply all the skills required: Design, Stress, Tooling, Assembly/disassembly procedure, Quality, Project Management and Eco-design. Running for a full year, the rolling stock reconditioning and improvement project involved experts working across France, Spain, and India.