Bavaria is charting a new course for its future rail transport, shunning hydrogen-powered tilt trains in favor of fully electric trains with advanced battery technology.
Tilt trains, which mimic a motorcyclist’s lean in curves, are critical for maintaining schedules on Bavaria’s winding railways. In March 2023, Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter announced these tilt trains would transition from diesel post-2030. At the time, plans included trains equipped with both batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to navigate long routes lacking overhead lines, such as the Hof-Nuremberg stretch. This approach was ambitious from the outset.
However, recent studies have shown that hydrogen is no longer necessary. Advances in battery technology mean that trains can charge their batteries via overhead lines at terminals, sufficient even for stretches exceeding 100 kilometers, like Hof to Nuremberg, without needing mid-journey charging.
In northeastern Bavaria, minimal railway network adjustments are required, according to the transport ministry. Bayreuth and Neustadt an der Waldnaab stations need charging facilities, and certain tracks at Nuremberg Central Station require enhanced overhead lines. Additionally, trains ending in Marktredwitz must charge in Cheb, Czech Republic, or Hof until electrification from Hof to Marktredwitz is complete. Similar battery-electric tilt train models will operate in Swabia and northeastern Bavaria. Presently, tilting trains account for around ten percent of regional train operations in Bavaria, primarily in Franconia and Swabia.
Minister Bernreiter expressed enthusiasm about the shift, noting the simplified, more economical rail fleet eliminates the need for hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Endorsements came from regional leaders in Hof, Kulmbach, and Bayreuth. The rail advocacy group Pro Bahn also supports the pivot. In summer 2023, they recommended prioritizing all-electric trains over hydrogen variants in Bavaria, assessing the change as a commendable response to new insights. Critically, they argue that re-evaluating decisions should not be feared, and this adaptation will not set back the timetable for developing necessary vehicles. No battery-powered tilt trains currently exist on the market. Despite changes, a 2024 procurement process for the Allgäu region initiated under previous assumptions will proceed, with requirements now updated to exclude hydrogen technology. The transport ministry projects a start of operations for these battery-electric tilt trains in the early 2030s, previously estimated as either 2032 or 2035.
