Zero-Emission Rail in Czechia: Techno-economic analysis of lines R14, R21, R22, R25, R26, R27, SP14, U28

This report analyses several representative regional, non-electrified rail lines in Czechia and evaluates different zero-emission technologies for their electrification: hydrogen, batteries, partial and full catenary. Single-train simulations are set up for every line to calculate energy requirements and state-of-charge profiles for batteries; the resulting data is fed into a detailed techno-economic analysis to rank the technologies. The results indicate that some lines are best served by hydrogen, other ones by batteries, which in some cases may be cheaper than diesel operation overall; catenary electrification (predictably, as these are all non-electrified lines) is always far more expensive.