Metra Takes Delivery of First US Battery-Electric FLIRT — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Metra is receiving this week what Stadler and the agency call the first US battery-electric FLIRT passenger trainset, a German-designed unit meant to replace diesel locomotives on the Beverly branch of the Rock Island Line between La Salle St. and Blue Island.
- Stadler North America CEO Martin Ritter pitched the FLIRT as a sustainability win, saying battery-electric rail is "becoming an increasingly attractive solution" as transit agencies pursue emissions cuts and that the trainset will "significantly improve air quality" for communities along the corridor.
- Metra ordered 8 battery-electric FLIRT trainsets from Stadler; the first will be on display at the American Public Transportation Association conference at McCormick Place starting this Sunday, with passenger service targeted before the end of 2027.
- Per URBANIZE Chicago, each single-level trainset seats up to 112 riders with low-level boarding, ADA-compliant lifts, open gangways, bike and luggage racks, passenger info signs, and USB outlets, and can attach a trailer car adding 46 more seats.
- A fully charged trainset is expected to cover 45 to 65 miles on an undisclosed battery pack, with the ability to charge from 20% to 80% in roughly 30 minutes — enough, Metra claims, to complete a full Beverly-branch run.
- Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski said Metra will be "the first in the country to have battery-powered passenger vehicles" and predicted riders will say "Wow!" the first time they step aboard.
Why it matters: Metra's eight-unit order makes it the launch customer for Stadler's US battery FLIRT platform, and the Beverly branch becomes a real-world test of whether a 45–65 mile battery range plus a 30-minute top-up turnaround can substitute for diesel on a commuter corridor — with passenger operations starting before end of 2027.
Ask SkimNews
