Stadler and Ferrovie Appulo Lucane Reveal First European Narrow-Gauge Battery-Powered Train

Stadler and Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) have unveiled the world’s first tailor-made battery-powered narrow-gauge electric train at this year’s EXPO Ferroviaria in Milan.

The new trains, which have been commissioned by FAL, are set to expand the operator’s Italian fleet and were manufactured entirely at Stadler’s headquarters in Bussnang (Switzerland).

Seven of the narrow-gauge trains were ordered in 2023 and 2024, with the new units set to undergo a series of tests to assess their compliance with guidelines set out by Italy’s National Agency for the Safety of Railways and Road and Motorway Infrastructure (ANSFISA).

Maurizio Oberti, Sales Director for the Italian market at Stadler, said:

This is the first narrow-gauge electric train powered entirely by batteries in Italy and Europe. It is 100% green and will change the future of sustainable mobility in Basilicata.

We are very proud to take our innovative green technology to the Italian market, which will promote sustainability in the Municipality of Matera and the Basilicata Region and help it achieve net zero. We would like to thank FAL for the trust they have placed in us and for the excellent collaboration established within the project.

The new low-floor access trains have been fitted with high-performance, battery-powered electric propulsion above the motor bogie to ensure capable grip and traction.

General Manager of Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, Stefano Di Bello, said:

Ferrovie Appulo Lucane confirms its status as a public company capable of investing in the future and innovation and of honouring its commitments.

Two years ago, at EXPO Ferroviaria, together with the Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, we presented what was then just a futuristic project. Today, we already have the first of seven trains that will enter service on the Altamura – Matera line by the end of 2026.

Thanks to the synergy between FAL, the Ministry of Transport, the Basilicata Region, and the Municipality of Matera, we have made a total investment of €63 million, partly from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), partly from the PNRR Complementary Fund, and partly from the PON-PAC 2014-2020. Following a public tender procedure of Community relevance, FAL has entrusted Stadler with the construction of the trains.