Deutsche Bahn and Siemens enter the Hydrogen Age

Joint project to develop new regional train and special fueling station –Complete system for climate-friendly mobility to be tested for a year

Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility are driving forward the climate-friendly transition in transportand are testing the use of hydrogen for rail for the first time. The aim is to test a completely new overall system consisting of a newly developed train and a newly designed filling station.DB will refitone of itsmaintenance shopsfor servicing the hydrogen-powered train.

Both companies will test a climate-friendly complete system consisting of the train and its specially developed infrastructure.

The system consisting of trains and infrastructureis intended to replace diesel-powered trainsets operating on regional routes and further reduce CO2 emissions. A one-year test of the train in the region around the city of Tübingen is planned.The state government of Baden-Württemberg is providing support for the project, and the Federal Ministry for Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has announced its intention to fund the project

The prototype that Siemens Mobility will build is based onthe Mireo Plus regional train. The two-cartrain setwill be equipped with a newly developed hydrogen drive. The designated Mireo Plus H will be aspowerful asits electric counterpart and have an operating range of up to 600 kilometers.

Deutsche Bahn is developing a new type of fueling station that can refuel the train in the same time as a diesel-powered train. The hydrogen will be produced on site in Tübingen using traction electricity generated from renewable sources. DB will partially refitits maintenance shop in the cityof Ulm to service the new hydrogen train.

During its planned trial operation between Tübingen, Horb and Pforzheim in 2024, the train will replace a conventional diesel-powered unit running on the route. The new hydrogen drive will save around 330 tons of CO2in one year. DB currently operates around 1,300 diesel-powered trainsin regional service, and roughly 40 percent of DB’s 33,000-kilometer rail network is not electrified. In addition to the option of further electrifying the system, the use of hydrogen-powered trains offersone possibilityfor DB becoming climate-neutral.

Prof. Sabina Jeschke, DB Board Member for Digitalization and Technology: “This projectproves that Deutsche Bahn is not just a mobility company, but a technology group as well. We need to bring our fossil fuel consumption down to zero. Only then can DB be climate-neutral by 2050. By that point, we won’t have a single diesel-powered train operating in our fleet.”

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