tri-mode en · ADJ
Etymology
From tri- + mode.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Of a train or locomotive: Designed to operate on electricity on electrified lines, or diesel-electric power (from a diesel generator) or battery power on non-electrified lines.
Testing of a five-car Hitachi Class 802/0 tri-mode unit will begin in 2022, and the train could be in traffic the following year. It is expected the train will save more than 20% of fuel on Great Western Railway's London Paddington-Penzance route. The plan is for the '802' to use battery power in and out of stations, and through urban areas. Of the 305-mile route, only 53 miles as far as Newbury are electrified (17%).
2020 December 30, Richard Clinnick, “Network News: Hitachi targets 2022 for testing of tri-mode trains”, in Rail, page 12: