Smart Energy for Rail: Key Takeaways from Sebastiaan van der Zee’s UITP Summit Speech

At the UITP Summit in Hamburg on 17 June 2025, Sebastiaan van der Zee (Strukton) shared insights into how the rail sector can help tackle energy grid congestion through innovative energy management. He spotlighted the RET energy hub in Rotterdam—a compact, smart solution for public transport energy challenges. The RET energy hub is one of the FP4-Rail4EARTH demontrators.

The speech highlighted:

• The challenge: Growing electricity demand and limited grid capacity are impacting rail reliability.
• The solution: Smart energy hubs combining real-time energy monitoring, storage systems, and flexible demand management.
• The pilot: A 15m² RET hub that balances power needs, supports renewable integration, and avoids major infrastructure changes.
• Key lesson: Start small, scale smart. Collaboration between transport operators, grid managers, and policymakers is essential for success.

The message was clear: smart, scalable hubs can make rail systems more resilient, sustainable, and ready for the energy transition.