Voltify Raises $30 Million to Change Way Railroads Are Powered

The startup aims to add battery power to locomotives and enable recharging while in motion.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:21pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a polished metal locomotive wheel, a battery pack, and a coil of electrical cable, arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background to represent the concept of sustainable rail transportation technology.Voltify's innovative battery-powered and in-motion charging system aims to help the rail industry reduce its carbon footprint and become more sustainable.Philadelphia Today

Voltify, a Philadelphia-based startup, has raised $30 million in seed funding to trial its system that retrofits diesel locomotives with battery power and charges them on the go via a network of microgrids. The company says it has signed a paid pilot agreement with one of the major Class 1 railroads and will use the money to gear up for a real-world test of its technology.

Why it matters

Voltify's technology could help the rail industry, one of the largest consumers of diesel fuel, reduce its carbon footprint and become more sustainable. With diesel prices rising due to global conflicts, Voltify's battery-powered and in-motion charging solution could provide an economical alternative for railroads.

The details

Voltify's system involves adding battery packs to diesel locomotives and pairing that with a network of microgrids that can recharge the batteries while the trains are in motion. This would allow the locomotives to run on electric power for portions of their routes, reducing diesel consumption and emissions. The company says it has signed a paid pilot agreement with one of the major Class 1 railroads, which are the largest freight rail operators in North America, to test the technology.

  • Voltify raised $30 million in seed funding in March 2026.
  • The company plans to conduct a real-world test of its technology in the near future.

The players

Voltify

A Philadelphia-based startup that wants to decarbonize the rail industry by retrofitting diesel locomotives with battery power and enabling in-motion charging via a network of microgrids.

Class 1 railroads

The largest freight rail operators in North America, with which Voltify has signed a paid pilot agreement to test its technology.

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What’s next

Voltify will use the $30 million in seed funding to gear up for a real-world test of its battery-powered and in-motion charging technology with one of the major Class 1 railroads.

The takeaway

Voltify's innovative solution could help the rail industry, a major consumer of diesel fuel, reduce its carbon footprint and become more sustainable, especially as diesel prices rise due to global conflicts. If successful, the company's technology could pave the way for wider adoption of battery-powered and in-motion charging systems in the rail industry.