The Taunus network’s shift to hydrogen trains continues to experience setbacks, causing reliability issues. To ensure passenger safety and convenience, the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) will offer bus replacement services for the regional train line RB1 beyond April 15 as a “fallback level.”
The service staff at the stations will also remain available to answer passengers’ inquiries. The start of Germany’s largest hydrogen fleet has been rocky, with Alstom, the manufacturer, unable to deliver the promised 11 vehicles by December 27. The availability of the ten trains delivered has since improved, but the hydrogen line’s operation remains unstable, necessitating diesel vehicle replacements.
The RMV is prioritizing a dependable plan for the hydrogen train line and ensuring that bus replacements are available to passengers independently of train traffic to ensure a fixed timetable. This bus replacement service will continue until the hydrogen line’s operation stabilizes. As of now, diesel vehicles are used to replace hydrogen trains during regular inspection and maintenance, causing operational delays.
