Methods of energy storage for railway systems - Guide for infrastructure managers on the implementation of new technologies of Energy Storage in railway stations

The International Union of Railways (UIC), in the framework of the project 2020/RSF/669 – Methods of Energy Storage for Railway Systems, has promoted the development of a simulation-based methodology to assess the feasibility of integrating Energy Storage Systems (ESS) at railway stations as a means to recover regenerative braking energy.

Issue:

This IRS addresses the need for a simulation-driven approach to evaluate both the technical performance and economic viability of installing a single ESS at a station within a railway electrical network. The methodology is designed to help assess the potential benefits of reusing energy regenerated by braking trains, with particular attention to its impact on station consumption, substation behaviour, and overall energy efficiency.

It is made for:

This IRS is intended for railway infrastructure managers, energy planners, technical consultants, and decision-makers seeking to evaluate the integration of an ESS at station level. It supports informed investment decisions by providing a systematic methodology based on realistic operational conditions and financial assessment tools.

It contains:

- A modular simulation methodology implemented in a simulator, covering train dynamics, electrical modelling, and decision support components.

- Guidelines for configuring simulations, preparing input data, and interpreting output results.

- A range of representative operating scenarios that combine different timetable distributions, station demand profiles, and ESS technologies.

- Procedures to estimate energy savings at the station and assess economic performance through Net Present Value (NPV) calculations over multiple investment horizons.

This IRS is based on a simulation framework developed as part of a broader research effort that also included a detailed review of available ESS technologies. Based on that analysis, EDLCs and FESSs were selected as the most appropriate technologies for station-level integration and are therefore the exclusive focus of the simulation scenarios presented in this document By focusing on the simulation and evaluation of a single station-based ESS, this IRS provides a clear, reproducible framework for assessing the strategic value of local energy storage investments in electrified railway systems.