First Hybrid train

[arenean]

From The Independent:

Japan's hybrid train hailed as the future of rail travel

From the article....

Screens in each carriage give all the detail any passenger could want. Designed and run by the transport giant Japan Rail (JR), each 180-million-yen train is powered by a super fuel-efficient diesel engine and lithium-ion batteries that recharge every time the brakes are applied, a system that cuts power, noise and emissions by up to 60 per cent.
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Japan is a world leader in the development of hybrid cars and low-emission buses and plans are already well advanced to run a hybrid tram in Tokyo. But a JR spokesman said it was "too early" to contemplate selling the E200 on the open market. "We're still trying to modify and improve its performance," he said. JR said that it wanted to make the E200 10 per cent more fuel efficient than conventional trains, but admitted that compared to standard diesel trains, its current prototype was expensive.

"We think it is inevitable that we will have to spend money if we are going to save the environment," the spokesman said.

[lvx35]

1. Exciting stuff.

The rails have a lot of promise as far as green technology goes. They already are massively efficient at moving lost of goods with only a little fuel, and the fact that you only have to change the engine (as opposed to changing the whole system) makes them very sexy as far as I am concerned.

[Hieronymus]

2. It's hard to believe the US was once a leader in train travel. Trains are

the ONLY way to travel within Europe .. fast(around 200mph), on time to city center.

[Kolesar]

3. I recall that someone was making a hybrid yard locomotive already

[bananas]

4. Welcome to DU!

Good article - thanks!

[skids]

5. First?

Practically all diesel trains are hybrid.

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/diesel-locomotive.htm

[losthills]

6. Now

That is really cool!