Alstom hydrogen train travels 730 miles without refuelling

A hydrogen train built by Alstom has completed a journey of some 730 miles (1,175km) without the need to refuel.

The company says this proves the effectiveness of hydrogen-powered traction as a viable and much cleaner alternative to diesel units for long-distance transportation.

The vehicle used for the demonstration was a Coradia iLint taken from a 14-strong fleet belonging to LNVG, the transport authority of Lower Saxony in Germany. It has been in regular passenger operation on the network of evb (Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH) since mid-August.

Starting in Bremervőrde, the demonstration route took the train from Lower Saxony (where it was built and developed by Alstom) through Hesse to Bavaria. It travelled as far as Burghausen, near the German-Austrian border, before returning to Munich.

“With this journey, we have provided further proof that our hydrogen trains have all the prerequisites to replace diesel vehicles,” said Alstom CEO and Chairman of the Board Henri

Poupart-Lafarge.

As well as the 14 trains in operation in Lower Saxony, a further 27 Coradia iLints have been ordered for use in the Frankfurt metropolitan area.

Outside of Germany, Alstom is building six hydrogen trains in the Italian region of Lombardy, with an additional option agreed for eight more vehicles.