Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have rolled out their first Mireo Plus H hydrogen-powered train and a hydrogen storage tank trailer for fast mobile refuelling.

The project, titled “H2goesRail”, is an important step in the transition from diesel traction to advanced climate-friendly transportation. Siemens Mobility and DB launched the complete system at the Siemens plant at Krefeld in Germany. Mireo Plus H trains are intended to replace diesel multiple-unit trains in commuter and regional transport and reduce rail-related CO2 emissions to zero.

As a two-car train, the Mireo Plus H for the H2goesRail project has an operating range of up to 800 km, is as powerful as its electric multiple-unit counterpart, has 1.7 MW of traction power providing up to 1.1 m/s2 acceleration, and a top speed of 160 km/hour. A three-car version has a range of up to 1,000 km.

DB has developed a new method that enables a hydrogen train to be refuelled as fast as a diesel-powered train, which is an important factor in the closely timed scheduling of DB’s regional passenger serviced. Fast refuelling of hydrogen trains will make the technology competitive in daily operations.

The hydrogen will be produced in Tübingen by DB using green electricity taken directly from the overhead power line, and the DB maintenance depot in Ulm will be equipped accordingly.

Mireo Plus H trains will start testing in Baden-Württemberg in 2023 and introduced into passenger service between Tübingen, Horb, and Pforzheim in 2024.

Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary in the BMDV, said:

In its coalition agreement, the federal government agreed to electrify 75% of the country’s rail network by 2030.”

“Here, alternative drives can help reduce emissions from diesel rail transport. This way, we’ll be able to operate virtually climate-neutral on rail routes where full electrification is not possible. The H2goesRail project will not only test the use of hydrogen for rail, but substantially advance the technology.”

Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, commented:“

“Only with a strong rail system and alternative types of drives will we be able to make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. The enables climate-friendly and emission-free passenger transport.”

“With the Mireo Plus H, we’ve developed the next generation of hydrogen-powered trains that offers a particularly long operating range and faster acceleration. Each delivered train can save up to 45,000 tons of CO2 over its service life of 30 years compared to corresponding travel with cars.”

Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, Member of the Management Board for Digitalization and Technology at Deutsche Bahn, said:

“For Deutsche Bahn, hydrogen trains are an important component on our way to achieving climate neutrality.”
“With our development of the mobile hydrogen filling station and the related maintenance infrastructure, we are showing that we not only can do mobility, but technology as well. And exactly that is what is needed for providing the climate-friendly transport of tomorrow. Together with Siemens and the newly developed hydrogen train, we are creating an overall system which will take us another step towards phasing out diesel and enable the greening of the fleet.”