SMART Railway Technology
SMART Railway Technology is a German manufacturer of power electronics for rail, producing auxiliary power converters in Kassel and inverter technology for feeding solar power into the traction grid.
SMART Railway Technology GmbH is headquartered in Kassel and employs more than 160 people, according to the company. Power-electronic development has run at the site for more than 30 years.
The business was formerly part of the SMA group and is today a subsidiary of Beijing Dinghan Technology Group, a Chinese rail technology company.
Products
The core portfolio is auxiliary power converters for rolling stock — from single devices such as battery chargers and air-conditioning inverters to complete auxiliary converters for coaches and multiple units. The company states its systems run on more than 7,000 rail vehicles worldwide, from the São Paulo metro to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
PV2Rail and the trackside grid
In January 2024 the company added PV2Rail to its portfolio: a photovoltaic inverter with a rated output of 100 kVA that feeds directly into the 16.7 Hz traction power network. Solar installations along the line can thereby supply traction power without the detour via the conventional three-phase 50 Hz grid.
The product moves the company from the vehicle into trackside power supply and electrification. Direct feed-in of fluctuating solar power also ties into the wider question of energy storage for infrastructure, where buffering is needed to match generation to traction demand.
Current activity
According to the company, Swiss Federal Railways has ordered PV2Rail inverters for photovoltaic installations in several cantons. The auxiliary converter business continues as the main line of activity from the Kassel site.
