Germany’s ambition to become a climate-neutral utopia has faced another setback. Hydrogen trains, meant to replace diesel trains, have been unreliable.
In the Taunus region, diesel trains are back in operation until at least December, as they have proven more reliable than the much-touted hydrogen alternative. The French manufacturer, Alstom, is expected to perform an overhaul on the problematic hydrogen trains.
Ulrich Krebs, the district administrator of Hochtaunus and chairman of the RMV supervisory board, emphasized that using diesel trains ensures reliable service for citizens. However, he noted that diesel trains are not a long-term solution. Krebs remarked that Alstom’s repeated failures have undermined trust in new propulsion technologies.
The shift to hydrogen trains has been a disaster from the start. Alstom failed to deliver the promised number of trains, and frequent breakdowns disrupted normal operations. RMV Director Knut Ringat urged Alstom to use the coming year to make the fleet consistently reliable.
The Frankfurt transport company, VGF, which also relied on Alstom trains, had to withdraw a new series of trams from service, resorting to older models from the 1970s. The failure of new climate-friendly technology demonstrates the unreliability of such innovations compared to older, proven models.
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