Tesla's electric train is up and running

The Giga Train connects the Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, to the Erkner station (Brandenburg)

Photo by: Tesla

By: Eleonora Lilli

Published by: Brian Potter

Aug 10, 2024 at 2:09am ET

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Those working at the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, can reach it by train, strictly electric. The Giga Train, although not built directly by Tesla, has just been inaugurated and connects the station in Erkner (a town of 11,970 inhabitants in Brandenburg) to what is now called Tesla Süd.

Around 4,500 people are expected to be transported each day. Tesla will only operate the shuttle service until the completion of the work, after which it will add a stop at Berlin-Lichtenberg.

What the Giga Train looks like

The electric train was supposed to go into operation on Monday, but other construction projects have postponed the start date slightly. At the moment it is free for all passengers (it is not known later whether it will become a paid service and how much it will cost) and is the first ever fully electric train in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Each carriage has 120 seats and can transport 500 people per journey. It is of course equipped with bicycle compartments and ground-level access for the disabled. At the moment, however, there are no further details.

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It will replace diesel trains

The train operator, Niederbarnimer Eisenbahngesellschaft (NEB), plans to switch to a fleet of electric trains from the end of this year. 'We will commission 31 battery-electric multiple units and seven hydrogen multiple units, gradually replacing the diesel fleet we currently use,' said general manager, Sebastian Achtermann.

Theresa Eggler, Tesla's project manager, told rbb24, a German media outlet: 'We are particularly pleased that Tesla's shuttle train is now battery-electric because it is simply in line with our company's mission: to accelerate the transition to renewable energy'.