Germany made global headlines by becoming the first country to launch a fully hydrogen-powered passenger rail service. The service started with the Coradia iLint trains developed by the French company Alstom.
These trains began running on a 100-kilometer route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde, and Buxtehude in northern Germany. The goal was to replace polluting diesel trains with clean and quiet hydrogen-powered trains.
Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge described the launch as a turning point “The world’s first hydrogen train is entering into commercial service and is ready for serial production.”
Alstom designed the Coradia iLint trains to run entirely on hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells produced electricity by mixing hydrogen and oxygen, and the only emissions from the trains were steam and water vapor.
The trains also had lithium-ion batteries that stored extra energy. Each train could travel around 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) on a single tank of hydrogen and could reach speeds of up to 86 miles per hour.
According to Stefan Schrank, Alstom’s project manager “Buying a hydrogen train is somewhat more expensive than a diesel train, but it is cheaper to run.”
Each hydrogen train helped reduce over 4,000 tons of CO₂ emissions every year. The trains also made less noise, making them a better option for people living near railway lines. The idea was to use these trains on routes that were not electrified, where installing electric lines would be too expensive or difficult.
The project had a strong start and received support from government officials and environmental groups. Five hydrogen trains started running on the route, and more were added in the following months.
Germany’s state of Lower Saxony invested $92.3 million in the project, and Alstom planned to deliver a total of 14 trains to the region. The success of the early trains inspired other countries like France, Italy, and Canada to consider using hydrogen trains too.
However, in late 2024, the biggest hydrogen train project in Germany faced major setbacks. The Taunus network near Frankfurt had ordered 27 Coradia iLint trains under a $500 million deal. But the entire fleet had to be pulled from service due to reliability issues. These problems included delays and mechanical failures, which made it hard to run the service smoothly.
To solve the issues, engineers began upgrading 18 of the trains with improved fuel cells and larger hydrogen tanks. During this time, older diesel trains returned to service as a temporary solution. This move raised concerns because it went against the project’s goal of reducing pollution and moving toward cleaner transport.
The trains also needed to refuel at special hydrogen stations, but many of these were located at chemical plants with limited access. This led to delays and made operations less efficient. While the technology showed great promise, the lack of a strong refueling network slowed down its progress.
There were also concerns about how the hydrogen was produced. Most hydrogen used today is made from fossil fuels, which reduces the environmental benefits. Experts and environmental groups said the goal should be to produce hydrogen using renewable energy like wind or solar power. This cleaner version of hydrogen is known as “green hydrogen.”
Despite the problems, the Coradia iLint trains showed that hydrogen could be a real alternative to diesel. Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, also started working on hydrogen train models, hoping to use them across the country. Alstom signed agreements with other regions in France and Italy to deliver more hydrogen trains. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway also showed interest.
Germany’s effort to use hydrogen trains came during a time when the country was trying to move away from fossil fuels, especially after reducing its reliance on Russian oil and gas. The government wanted to promote clean energy solutions in transport, and hydrogen trains fit into that plan.
The early success of the Coradia iLint created hope, but the real-world challenges proved that scaling up new technology was not easy. Problems with fuel supply, infrastructure, and technical reliability reminded everyone that even green solutions need time and support to work well.
