FUNDRES · Project

Unified 9kV DC Power System That Cuts Railway Energy Costs and Integrates Renewables

transportPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine every railway line in Europe speaks a different electrical language — some run on AC, some on DC, at different voltages. That makes trains expensive to build and operate because they need equipment for every standard. FUNDRES designed a single 9 kV DC system that could replace all of them, making it easier to plug in solar panels and batteries along the tracks. They built a lab-scale prototype and a digital twin — basically a computer replica of the entire rail power network — to prove the idea works before anyone lays real cable.

By the numbers

9 kVDC

Unified voltage standard proposed for all railway electrification

4 partners

Consortium members across 3 countries (CH, FR, IT)

EUR 749,540

EU contribution for research and lab validation

TRL4

Technology readiness level achieved (lab-validated)

2 demo deliverables

Lab-scale demonstration and digital twin demonstrator

The business problem

What needed solving

Railway operators across Europe waste money maintaining multiple incompatible electrification standards, making it expensive to run cross-border services and nearly impossible to efficiently integrate renewable energy into rail power grids. Every new line or upgrade forces a choice between outdated standards, none of which were designed for modern DC power sources like solar and batteries.

The solution

What was built

The team built two concrete deliverables: a lab-scale experimental demonstration of the 9 kVDC electrification concept with test results and implementation recommendations, and a digital twin that models the complete network including renewable sources, energy storage, and charging infrastructure.

Audience

Who needs this

National railway infrastructure managers (e.g., SNCF Réseau, RFI, Network Rail)Traction power substation and DC switchgear manufacturersRenewable energy integrators targeting the transport sectorRailway engineering consultancies planning electrification upgradesUrban transit authorities modernizing metro or tram power systems

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Railway infrastructure

enterprise

Target: Railway infrastructure managers and operators

If you are a railway infrastructure manager dealing with aging electrification systems and rising energy costs — this project developed a unified 9 kVDC electrification design validated at TRL4, along with a digital twin that models how renewable sources, storage, and charging work together across your network. This could simplify your power supply architecture and reduce the cost of integrating clean energy into rail operations.

Rail power equipment manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of traction power substations and DC switchgear

If you are a power equipment manufacturer looking for the next generation of railway electrification products — this project defined the technical specifications for a 9 kVDC unified system with experimental validation at laboratory scale. The digital twin demonstrator lets you simulate how your components would perform in a full network before committing to hardware development.

Renewable energy integration for transport

any

Target: Energy companies and integrators serving the transport sector

If you are an energy integrator trying to connect solar, wind, or battery storage to rail networks — this project showed that MVDC grids at 9 kVDC are more energy-efficient than classical AC distribution and simplify interconnection of sources, storage elements, and loads. The 4-partner consortium across 3 countries validated this at lab scale with concrete implementation recommendations.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this 9 kVDC system?

The project itself received EUR 749,540 in EU funding to develop the concept and lab-scale validation. Actual deployment costs are not specified in the project data. Infrastructure conversion from existing systems to 9 kVDC would require significant capital investment that would need separate feasibility studies.

Can this scale to real railway networks?

The technology was validated at laboratory scale (TRL4). The project produced implementation recommendations in its deliverables. Scaling to full railway networks would require further engineering, field trials, and integration with the Shift2Rail program's IN2STEMPO project for real-world demonstrators.

Who owns the intellectual property?

The consortium of 4 partners (LAPLACE, EPFL, POLIMI, and UIC) across France, Switzerland, and Italy developed the technology. IP arrangements would follow Shift2Rail program rules. Contact the coordinator at Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse for licensing discussions.

Is there a working prototype I can see?

Yes — the project delivered an experimental demonstration at laboratory scale with test results and implementation recommendations. They also built a digital twin demonstrator capable of modeling the full 9 kVDC network including renewable resources, storage systems, and charging infrastructure.

How does this compare to existing electrification standards?

Current railway systems use multiple standards (750V DC, 1.5 kV DC, 3 kV DC, 15 kV AC, 25 kV AC). The 9 kVDC approach aims to unify these into one system that is more energy-efficient than AC distribution and can handle existing lines during a transition period.

What is the timeline to deployment?

The project ran from December 2019 to November 2021 and reached TRL4. Results feed into the larger Shift2Rail IN2STEMPO project for further development. Based on available project data, reaching deployment-ready status would require several more years of field testing and standardization.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium is entirely academic: 3 universities (Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, EPFL in Switzerland, Politecnico di Milano in Italy) plus UIC (International Union of Railways, classified as 'other'). With 0% industry participation and no industrial partners, this is a research-driven effort. The presence of UIC — the worldwide railway organization — adds credibility and a path to industry adoption, but any company interested in commercializing this technology would need to bridge the gap from lab results to real infrastructure. The 4-partner team across 3 countries is lean for the EUR 749,540 budget, suggesting focused technical work rather than broad deployment preparation.

INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE TOULOUSECoordinator · FR
UNION INTERNATIONALE DES CHEMINS DE FERparticipant · FR
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (LAPLACE laboratory), Toulouse, France — search for FUNDRES project coordinator

Order a report on this consortium See INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE TOULOUSE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how the 9 kVDC unified railway electrification concept could apply to your infrastructure modernization plans? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the research team.

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