The first regular passenger service using hydrogen traction began on the regional rail line from Cuxhaven to Buxtehude through Bremervorde, west of Hamburg.
In November 2017, the Lower Saxony Transport Authority (LNVG) secured a contract with Alstom for the supply of 14 two-car iLint trains. On the 100-kilometer line between Cuxhaven and Buxtehude, Elbe-Weser Transport Company (EVB) will initially run the trains, which have a maximum speed of 140 km/h, on behalf of LNVG.
The state of Lower Saxony purchased the trains from Alstom’s Salzgitter factory in Germany and is leasing them to EVB, which is also controlled by the state.
The trains cost €85 million, including a 30-year maintenance contract, with the German government covering a portion of the cost.
The DMUs that previously operated on the route have been retained in reserve in case problems arise with the deployment of the hydrogen fleet, which has been termed as “preliminary.” Once the essential degree of reliability has been reached, a public launch and inauguration by the Lower Saxony minister-president is scheduled for later this summer.
A hydrogen fueling station has been erected at the EVB depot in Bremervorde, where the trains are maintained. Currently, this process uses hydrogen supplied by the chemical industry, but by 2024 it is expected to transition to “green hydrogen” created by electrolysis of water using solar panels and wind turbines.
Alstom introduced the iLint for the first time in 2016 at the InnoTrans trade exhibition in Berlin. In 2018, test operations began on the EVB line, and the two prototype trains were subsequently tested and presented throughout Europe.
