Stadler has secured a contract from Italian railway operator Ferrovie della Calabria (FdC) for three new narrow-gauge hydrogen-powered trains.

The order is part of a framework agreement signed last year for up to 15 hydrogen-powered trains to operate on regional and local transport networks in Calabria. Stadler is also supplying six hydrogen-powered trains for ARST in Sardinia and five for California and is the world’s first train builder to manufacture hydrogen-powered narrow-gauge trains.

Stadler’s latest order for the three hydrogen-powered trains will complete the FdC fleet commissioned under the framework agreement. Vehicles are already on order and the new ones will be manufactured at Stadler’s headquarters at Bussnang in Switzerland.

The vehicles comprise two passenger cars and a power pack and are constructed from lightweight aluminium to make them more energy efficient, and the fuel cells, hydrogen tanks, and other technical equipment are housed in the power pack.

Each train is around 50 metres long, has 89 seats per vehicle, and has a total capacity of 155 passengers. They have low-floor access, making them fully accessible for people with reduced mobility and passengers with pushchairs and bicycles with dedicated areas near the access and exit door. They are also PRM toilet compliant with TSI standards.

Ernesto Ferraro, CEO of FdC, expressed his satisfaction with the further agreement with Stadler: “The additional trains ordered from Stadler, with whom we have had a fruitful cooperation for years, are a further investment towards the company’s ongoing modernisation.

“The purchase of a further three hydrogen-powered trains, in addition to the six already commissioned, and the other investments underway, including those for modernising and speeding up the railway infrastructure, renewing the rolling stock on the road, building the hydrogen production plant, and innovating the company’s technology and infrastructure, represent the concrete implementation of the company’s strategies launched with the ambition to become a modern and sustainable transport company within the next three years.

“These goals are now possible thanks to the synergy created with the Region of Calabria, the company’s sole shareholder, and with the relevant Ministries, which have made available the necessary resources to support the industrial plan that the company is pursuing, and to whom our thanks go.”

Aristide Vercillo Martino, FdC’s Investment Manager – PNRR – IT, added: “The project launched in recent years as part of the ecological transition, with a project to use hydrogen as a new fuel for its means of transport, and a total investment of more than 400 million euro, confirms the company’s desire to become a leader in regional transport and to provide more services to users, with innovative processes and in line with the objectives that a modern company must set itself. The synergy created over the years with Stadler will make it possible to accelerate the processes initiated to improve rail services in the area.”

Ansgar Brockmeyer, Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales at Stadler said: “We are very proud that FdC has once again commissioned Stadler to supply additional trains. In partnership with FdC, we are driving forward the decarbonisation of rail transport in Italy. The new narrow-gauge hydrogen trains are a world first and pave the way to sustainable rail transport on narrow-gauge lines worldwide. We thank FdC for the trust and look forward to deepening our partnership with them.”

Maurizio Oberti, Marketing & Sales Director for Italy, commented: “This additional order consolidates Stadler’s positioning in Italy. The entire portfolio of Stadler products and vehicles has already been acquired by several Italian regions and operators, from trams and metros to long-distance vehicles and locomotives. This is a remarkable achievement for Stadler.”