Intramotev deploys self

Intramotev, a pioneering technology company focused on developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions, has finalised an agreement with Iron Senergy to provide three ReVolt railcars for its 17-mile private rail line that transports coal produced by its Cumberland Coal Mine to its Alicia Harbor Facility located on the Monongahela River in Western Pennsylvania.

It says this will be the world's first deployment of self-propelled battery-electric railcars in a traditional freight train, using regenerative braking and battery technology to reduce diesel consumption from locomotives, resulting in lower costs for rail operators and reducing emissions impact from rail operations.

Intramotev says it is developing and deploying a suite of products to address the primary element behind the lack of growth in the rail industry, shipment certainty, while further building upon rail's strengths in safety and sustainability. They include TugVolt, a proprietary kit that can retrofit/upfit existing railcars to become battery-electric, move independently like a truck, and decouple to service first- and last-mile legs; ReVolt, capturing waste energy in traditional trains via regenerative braking; and automated safety systems including gates and hatches.

It states: "Every day, freight trucks navigate choked highways across the nation, producing an estimated 433 million tons of carbon emissions annually, while close to a million freight railcars sit idle in switching yards, awaiting locomotives to bring them to their destination. Intramotev is poised to help meet the Federal Railroad Administration's Climate Challenge, a commitment to partner with owners and operators in the US rail network, and manufacturers of rail equipment, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."

While reducing railway emissions as well as relieving congested and polluted roadways, Intramotev's technology it says offers reduced operational costs and the highest level of safety, with stopping distances at a fraction of traditional heavier trains, among other benefits.

"Captive routes between mines and processing facilities have the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and save costs through our proprietary battery-electric technology," said Intramotev CEO Timothy Luchini, PhD. "Using our technology will help Iron Senergy become a cleaner, healthier operation in western Pennsylvania. We hope their success will inspire other rail managers’ decarbonisation efforts across mining and steel mill transportation."

"We are honored to partner with Intramotev and help pioneer the deployment of this technology," said Iron Senergy CEO and owner Justin Thompson. "This investment is consistent with our commitment to innovation and the environment, and I look forward to exploring additional opportunities with the Intramotev team that will allow us to further increase efficiencies, lower costs and reduce our environmental footprint."