Tesla's Giga Berlin Train Shuttle Opens, Runs On Diesel

Tesla has opened a train shuttle service at Gigafactory Berlin in Germany today, making the site the company’s first to offer workers access by rail.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tesla Europe has announced the line’s inauguration, noting that “Giga Berlin now has its own train shuttle, capable of moving 400 people per ride.”

The announcement was accompanied by a short video of the first train arriving early in the morning at the new Tesla station located on the factory premises. The short video also provides a glimpse at the plant’s train platform, which features a canopy covered with solar panels.

A video shared on the same social network by Tesla employee Romain Hedouin captured a relaxed ambience in the “Giga Train,” which had a DJ playing music during the ride. According to the tweet, the DJ was Romain’s manager, another Tesla employee.

Looking at the video, it’s clear that the train shuttle line is not electrified, and X users obviously noticed that. One of them identified the train as a Bombardier Talent, which features a diesel engine that generates the driving current. 

That’s rather ironic for a factory that builds all-electric vehicles, as many commenters pointed out. In Tesla’s defense, the EV company doesn’t own the train, which is operated by NEB (Die Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn). However, Tesla does own the railroad tracks, which it acquired from German Regional Railway Group DRE in January 2022.

Tesla previously told German media the train would commute around 60 times a day from Monday to Friday – every 40 minutes – bringing over 1,500 people directly to the facility at each change of shift.

The train carries both Giga Berlin employees and citizens for free between the Fangschleuse station and the factory premises in Grünheide.

The new shuttle service replaces the current bus shuttle that ferries workers between the Erkner train station and Gigafactory Berlin. Tesla said the train will help reduce the levels of road traffic congestion in the area.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3m-uNLOi6Eo?si=9Ou7nf9M61OmV9me

Source: Tesla Europe / X

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