LOHR & SNCF DRAISY Project: KIEPE supplies Traction Inverters for revolutionary Very Light Train for the Region

• 100% battery-powered light train DRAISY is intended to give new impulse to rural railway lines

• KIEPE provides the traction package for DRAISY with the Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI) including the electric motors 

Düsseldorf, September 13, 2024 - A new name is emerging in regional public transit: DRAISY. This is the name of the short, very light and powerful new railbus. The very light passenger train will be built by French railway operator SNCF and the transport system manufacturer LOHR together with other partners. KIEPE is contributing to the project by providing the highly efficient, energy-saving traction package with the Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI) and the electric motors.

Ulrich Lauel, Global Head Rail Systems at KIEPE: "The DRAISY project fits in with KIEPE's mission, because we want to create an emission-free future with innovative, reliable and environmentally friendly mobility solutions. I welcome the diversity in regional public transit, as embodied by the DRAISY light train. Especially in rural areas, it is not just about faster, stronger, further - what is needed are economical and reliable solutions for sustainable passenger transport. Our team is enthusiastically working on this in this very innovative light train project."

Economical rail transport in rural areas

The DRAISY project consists of a very light, 14-meter-long passenger train. This rail vehicle is intended to give new impulse to shorter railway lines in rural areas. In France, it is estimated that there are almost 9,000 kilometers of such local routes in rural communities. Given this potential, it is hardly surprising that the project won in the "Digitization and decarbonization of rail transport" category as part of the fourth edition of the French government's Future Investment Program. In addition to SNCF and LOHR, the winning project team includes partners GCK Battery, Stations-e and IRT Railenium.

100% battery-powered electric light train

The DRAISY railbus is a battery-powered electric passenger train with a range of 150 kilometers that can be quickly charged in stations along the route without affecting passenger service. The train, with a top speed of 100 km/h, has space for up to 80 passengers. The vehicle weight of 20 tons is only about two thirds of a conventional regional railcar. The DRAISY concept assumes significantly lower operating and maintenance costs compared to current regional trains. The vehicle includes a large number of components and systems that are already available on the market, such as the KIEPE traction package with traction inverter. DRAISY is expected to be in operation in Alsace from 2026.

Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI) from KIEPE

The compact Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI) achieves a high-power density through efficient semiconductor technology and can be used universally. The intelligent control system benefits from the new Kiepe Traction Control (KTC), a motor control system to increase the performance of the drive train. The KTI, like the entire new generation of Kiepe Electric traction devices for electrically powered vehicles, can be integrated into Kiepe Fleet Management (KFM). The KFM digital solution supports the planning of predictive services and repairs with collected and evaluated vehicle data.

Caption: The compact Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI) is designed for rail vehicles and reliably drives the electric motors of the DRAISY train. | © LOHR-HAIKU DESIGN

KIEPE, with headquarter in Düsseldorf and subsidiaries in Austria, Canada, Italy, Switzerland and the USA, is known worldwide for its efficient and ecologically sustainable electrical equipment. The company has been offering solutions for light rail, subways, regional trains, locomotives and electric buses with In Motion Charging (IMC) and High-Power Charging (HPC) since 1906. In addition, KIEPE provides charging systems for various applications. Kiepe Electric GmbH is a company of Heramba Electric plc.