Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn to develop hydrogen-powered trains
Deutsche Bahn, The German Railway Company and Siemens Mobility have announced plans to test hydrogen – powered fuel cell trains.
This technology is expected to reduce CO2 emissions and eliminate diesel units.
It was mentioned by the companies in a joint statement that testing phase will commence in 2024.
To develop hydrogen powered prototype vehicle, electric Mireo plus H railcar will be used.
The two car train will have a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour and can be recharged in 15 minutes. It is also expected to save 330 tons of CO2 a year.
Michael Peter, the CEO of Siemens Mobility said
“Hydrogen drives are an advanced, emission-free form of propulsion that will help decarbonize rail transport and make a significant contribution toward achieving our climate targets.”
For regional service, Deutsche Bahn operates around 1300 diesel trains in regional service and 40% of its 33,000 kilometer rail network has not been electrified.
Deutsche Bahn plans to eliminate diesel trains from its network by 2050.
The rail car Mireo Plus H will have a battery and fuel cells that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity.
The hydrogen powered trains will have a range of 600 kilometers (373 miles) and Siemens have announced that it will develop a three-car version with a range of 1000 kilometers (621 miles)
Baden-Württemberg, The transport minister of Winfried Hermann Said
“Whether powered by overhead line electricity or hydrogen — the decisive factor is that the energy comes from renewable sources,”
“This country wants to be a pioneer in modern, sustainable rail transport.”
Siemens Mobility has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a spun-off entity Siemens Energy to jointly develop hydrogen systems for railway operations.
France’s Alstom (ALSMY) tested a hydrogen-powered train in northern Germany between 2018 and 2020, and has expanded the service into some routes in Austria.
