{"id":340003,"date":"2025-12-30T20:37:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T10:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=68336"},"modified":"2025-12-30T20:37:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T10:37:34","slug":"project-to-develop-light-rail-shuttle-for-passenger-traffic-eyes-freight-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=340003","title":{"rendered":"Project to develop light rail shuttle for passenger traffic eyes freight too"},"content":{"rendered":"

EcoTrain, a project to develop \u201ca fully electric, autonomous and affordable\u201d railbus shuttle for passenger traffic, operating on dormant rural lines in France, also makes provision to carry palletised freight.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>It is being piloted by French engineering entrepreneur, Philippe Bourguignon, in partnership with Socofer, Stratiforme and other manufacturing companies.<\/p>\n

A dedicated operating company, EcoTrain SAS, has been granted eight million euros in aid from ADEME, a French state agency for environment and energy management.<\/p>\n

A prototype EcoTrain, made at Socofer\u2019s facility near Tours, in centre-west France, has already been tested out and trials will be stepped up in 2026. Its first commercial service has been earmarked for 2029.<\/p>\n

Business model<\/h2>\n

The ultra-light railbus measures 12.5 metres in length and has the capacity to transport up to 48 passengers (seated and standing) and is powered by lithium-ion batteries that have an autonomy of around 500 kilometres.<\/p>\n

The EcoTrains would operate initially as a five-strong fleet and offer shuttle service frequencies at a maximum speed of 70 kilometres per hour.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a round table discussion at the annual conference of rail freight lobby group, Objectif-OFP, Bourguignon told attendees that while the project\u2019s business model had initially fully focused on revenue from passenger services, it soon became apparent that the relatively low level of financial return, in terms of euros per passenger\/kilometres, would not be sufficient to make EcoTrain commercially viable – even with as many as 70 trains a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the solution was simply to make the EcoTrain a going concern: freight transport over short-distances (a maximum of 70 kilometres),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Automated processes<\/h2>\n

Bourguignon explained that there was very little difference in the design of the railbuses to carry passengers or freight – a modification to the doors – and represented limited additional costs.<\/p>\n

He also underlined that the EcoTrain will benefit from a far less restrictive regulatory network than standard trains being subject to one which governs tramways.<\/p>\n

16 pallets per train<\/h2>\n

In freight mode, the railbus will be able to carry up to 16 pallets at any one time and be able to travel at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. The daily volume of pallets transported could vary from 100 to 1,000 in the start-up phase.<\/p>\n

A key element in the viability of the EcoTrain, in both passenger and freight mode, lies in its automated processes. For example, the loading or unloading pallets \u201cwould have to be completed within 30 seconds in the worst-case scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about the type of goods the railbus could transport and the markets served, Bourguignon replied: \u201cWe\u2019re targeting anything that can be palletised. Pallets account for 80% of freight in France. But our niche at the outset, is to transport pallets over a maximum distance of 70 kilometres.\u201d<\/p>\n