Challenges of Holistic Approach for Energy Management Strategies of Hybrid Dual-mode Trains

The new emerging hybrid dual-mode trains encompass different energy sources, enabling operation at electrified and non-electrified tracks as well as high flexibility in the design of the Energy Management Strategies (EMS). The scope of the current state-of-the-art EMS lacks interaction between the train and its environment. This means that the EMS is not aware of factors such as the characteristics of the tracks, technical movements, and local exploitation instructions. This leads to a sub-optimal utilization of the hybridization potential. This paper makes an overview of a holistic approach to designing an EMS, oriented to railway operation and transport plan, for hybrid dual-mode trains. This is intended to enhance the fuel economy by including external information from the environment of the train. The challenges to implementing such an approach are discussed as well.