The German Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt - EBA) today issued approval of the Alstom company’s “Coradia iLint” for passenger service on the German rail network. This is the first passenger train in the world to be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
This means the first two prototypes on the line in the Elbe-Weser network/ Bremervörder (Lower Saxony) area can go into operation. Development and testing of the local train “Coradia iLint” was supported with federal funds from the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP).
Enak Ferlemann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and government representative for rail transport commented: “This is a world first in Germany. With the Federal Railway Authority’s licensing we are sending the first passenger train onto the tracks which uses fuel cell technology. This is a significant step in terms of future mobility. Hydrogen is a genuine low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel. On branch lines in particular, where overhead lines are uneconomical or don’t exist at all, these trains can travel in a clean and environmentally-friendly way. That is why we support and promote the technology in order to continue to roll it out nationwide.”
The train’s maiden journey will take place on 16 September 2018.