New hydrogen train with hydrogen storage tank trailer from DB and Siemens Mobility

Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility continue to spearhead the shift to environmentally friendly rail transportation.

At the Siemens facility in Krefeld, the two partners debuted pieces of their revolutionary integrated system: the newly created Mireo Plus H, the next-generation hydrogen-powered train, and a newly built mobile hydrogen storage trailer. The train and its accompanying infrastructure are designed to replace diesel multiple-unit trains in commuting and regional transportation and to eliminate CO2 emissions from rail transportation.

The Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport is funding the “H2goesRail” initiative as part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) with €13.74 million (BMDV). The funding policy is organized by the NOW GmbH and implemented by the Jülich project lead.

“In its coalition agreement, the federal government agreed to electrify 75% of the country’s rail network by 2030,” said Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary in the BMDV. “Here, alternative drives can help reduce emissions from diesel rail transport. This way, we’ll be able to operate virtually climate-neutral on rail routes where full electrification is not possible. The H2goesRail project will not only test the use of hydrogen for rail, but substantially advance the technology.”

“Only with a strong rail system and alternative types of drives will we be able to make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. The Mireo Plus H enables climate-friendly and emission-free passenger transport,” commented Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility. “With the Mireo Plus H, we’ve developed the next generation of hydrogen-powered trains that offers a particularly long operating range and faster acceleration. Each delivered train can save up to 45,000 tons of CO2 over its service life of 30 years compared to corresponding travel with cars.”

“For Deutsche Bahn, hydrogen trains are an important component on our way to achieving climate neutrality,” said Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, Member of the Management Board for Digitalization and Technology at Deutsche Bahn. “With our development of the mobile hydrogen filling station and the related maintenance infrastructure, we are showing that we not only can do mobility, but technology as well. And exactly that is what is needed for providing the climate-friendly transport of tomorrow. Together with Siemens and the newly developed hydrogen train, we are creating an overall system which will take us another step towards phasing out diesel and enable the greening of the fleet.”

As a two-car train, the Mireo Plus H for the H2goesRail project has an operating range of up to 800 kilometers, is as powerful as its electric multiple-unit equivalent, possesses 1.7 MW of traction power delivering up to 1.1 m/s2 acceleration, and has a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The range of the three-car version is up to 1,000 kilometers.

Rapid refueling is essential for hydrogen technology to be competitive with diesel fuel in daily operations. DB has devised a new system that enables a hydrogen-powered train to be refueled as quickly as a diesel-powered train for the first time. Considering the tight schedule of DB’s regional passenger service, this is a particularly relevant consideration. The rapid refueling of hydrogen trains will make the technology competitive for daily use.

Hydrogen trains offer a very eco-friendly propulsion system, as they operate emission-free on green hydrogen and exhale only water vapor. In the H2goesRail project, for instance, the hydrogen train will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 330 tons per year on the Tübingen-Pforzheim line as compared to a diesel-powered train. Depending on the route profile, the Mireo Plus H can save 520 tons per year on average (calculated on mileage of 200,000 kilometers).
DB will create the hydrogen in Tübingen using green electricity obtained directly from the power line. The DB repair depot in Ulm will be outfitted suitably to service the train.

In 2023, testing of the Mireo Plus H will commence in Baden-Württemberg. During its scheduled passenger operation in 2024, the hydrogen train for the H2goesRail project with Deutsche Bahn will replace a diesel train and provide regular passenger service between Tübingen, Horb, and Pforzheim.
Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn will also exhibit the H2goesRail project and the Mireo Plus H at Berlin’s InnoTrans 2022, the world’s largest railway technology trade expo.