Germany unveils first fleet of hydrogen trains

26 Aug 2022 CW Team

Despite persistent supply issues, Germany opened a railway line that is totally powered by hydrogen, a "global premiere" and a significant advancement for green train travel.

On the 100 km of track connecting the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde, and Buxtehude near Hamburg, diesel locomotives have been replaced by a fleet of 14 trains given by French industrial giant Alstom to the German state of Lower Saxony.

In Germany, 20% of trips still use diesel, which contributes to global warming. Hydrogen trains have emerged as a possible alternative. As a "zero emission" means of transportation, the trains combine the oxygen in the air around them with the hydrogen that is already on board, all due to a fuel cell that is mounted on the roof. The electricity generated by doing this is used to move the train.

The fleet, which cost 93 million euro, will stop 4,400 tonne of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually, according to regional train operator LNVG.

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