The first electrical trains emerged in the late 19th century. Trams and light electric railways are still widely used in cities around Europe and remain one of the most energy-efficient forms of transport in terms of kilometres per passenger. But there’s always room for improvement.

Now a local project from the Smart Grids Research Group at the Institute of Energy and Drive Technology at Ulm University of Applied Sciences (THU), in collaboration with local services provider SWU Stadtwerke Ulm GmbH, aims to make the city of Ulm’s electric railway even more economical in terms of energy usage.

First, the team will investigate new solutions for recovering kinetic energy – generated when the tram brakes – and converting it back into electrical energy. Technically this is already possible using rotary accumulators or capacitors, but for various reasons these solutions haven’t been put into practice.

Secondly, Ulm’s entire tram network will be mapped into an energy simulation model using the latest smart software. Practically, this involves collecting energy absorption data for the first time, which will then be added to the driving and operating data (routinely collected), to provide new insights into how operations can be energy-optimised.

The joint project "Energy-economy solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of electric trains through digitalization” has been funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts until 2023.