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The companies said in a joint statement that testing of a train equipped with a new hydrogen engine would begin in 2024 and last for a year. The two-car train will have a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour (99.4 miles per hour) and it can be recharged in just 15 minutes.
The train, called Mireo Plus H, will run between three cities in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, replacing a conventional diesel-powered unit running on the route. The new hydrogen drive will save around 330 tonnes of CO2 per year, the companies said.
Deutsche Bahn operates around 1,300 diesel trains in regional service, and around 40% of its 33,000-kilometer (20,500-mile) rail network has not yet been electrified, meaning trains cannot run on lines overhead electrics. The company plans to phase out diesel trains from its network by 2050.
The Mireo Plus H will be powered by a battery and fuel cells that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. The two-car train will have a range of 600 kilometers (373 miles), and Siemens said it will also develop a three-car version with a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).
“Whether it is powered by overhead electricity or by hydrogen – the decisive factor is that the energy comes from renewable sources,” Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann said in a statement. “This country wants to be a pioneer in modern and sustainable rail transport.”
European regulators blocked Siemens’ proposed acquisition of Alstom in 2019, saying the merger would have hurt competition in rail signaling systems and very high-speed trains.
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