DB Regio expands Erfurt depot for battery trains with EUR 2.6m grant

DB Regio receives about EUR 2.64 million from Thuringia's 2021-2027 ERDF programme to modernise and expand its Erfurt depot for servicing battery-electric trains. The plans cover charging infrastructure, adapted equipment and storage for traction batteries and spare parts, ahead of the planned launch of the Central Thuringia battery network on 15 December 2028. For the first time, 13 per cent of Thuringia's rail network will be served by battery trains; the report gives neither total cost nor new jobs (LOK Report, 15 Jul 2026).