CAF Battery Train Hits 273 km Range in Tests for Germany's Largest BEMU Fleet

CAF has demonstrated a battery-only range of 273 km with its Class 557 Civity battery-electric multiple unit, the manufacturer announced in late August, following trials at the Siemens Mobility-owned test circuit at Wildenrath in western Germany.

The unit, equipped with lithium-titanate-oxide batteries, ran entirely on battery power throughout the test. The result is around 24% above the 220 km range specified by transport authority Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) for the fleet ordered for RE10 and RB37 services — a requirement covering the longest sections the trains must run without overhead power, with a 10-minute recharge permitted after 110 km. On RE10 between Kleve, Krefeld and Düsseldorf, roughly 65 km is non-electrified, with an overhead charging facility being built at Kleve.

VRR and Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe ordered 63 Civity BEMUs from CAF in 2021, with follow-on orders taking the fleet to 76 units — 15 short 45 m and 61 long 55 m trains — making it Germany's largest battery-train procurement to date. CAF is also responsible for maintenance for 30 years.

The programme is running late: originally due to begin entering service in 2025, the first Class 557s are now scheduled to carry passengers from December 2027, with the rollout continuing in stages until December 2029. The revised schedule follows a decision to equip all 76 trains for 400 V depot charging while stabled, reducing dependence on overhead charging infrastructure.

Alongside the range test, CAF assessed traction performance in extreme conditions and gathered data on energy management and battery behaviour to validate its design-phase simulation models. A Class 557 will be shown at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin.