Largest order for Coradia hydrogen-powered trains
Fahrzeugmanagement Region Frankfurt RheinMain (fahma), a rail operator in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area, has ordered 27 hydrogen-powered trains of the Coradia iLint type. The vehicles will be delivered by the end of 2022. The supply costs around 500 million Euros.
The ordered hydrogen-powered vehicles with a seating capacity for 160 passengers will serve four non-electrified regional lines in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area: RB11 (Frankfurt-Höchst – Bad Soden), RB12 (Frankfurt – Königstein), RB15 (Frankfurt – Bad Homburg – Brandoberndorf) and RB16 (Friedrichsdorf – Friedberg).
The purchase is partially funded by the German government. “The federal government supports this investment in climate-friendly mobility by assuming 40 per cent of the additional vehicle costs incurred in comparison to diesel vehicles, as well as by providing proportional support for the hydrogen filling station,” said Enak Ferlemann, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
Refuelling of trains
The deal includes the supply of hydrogen, maintenance and the provision of reserve capacities for the next 25 years. Alstom will provide hydrogen for the trains together with Infraserv Höchst company, an operator of the Höchst Industrial Park. Therefore, all the trains will be refuelled at the mentioned location.
“With its existing hydrogen infrastructure, the Höchst Industrial Park is an ideal filling station location for fuel-cell vehicles. The operation of the hydrogen filling station for trains as a supplement to the tanking facilities for buses and trucks fits in perfectly with our concept, with which we as an innovative company are further developing our energy supply concepts and are relying on environmentally friendly energy carriers,” noted Joachim Kreysing, Managing Director of Infraserv Höchst.
Coradia iLint in Germany
The Coradia iLint vehicles were entered into regular service in Germany. The hydrogen-powered vehicle was rolled-out in Lower Saxony in September 2018. The Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (EVB), a regional rail operator in Lower Saxony, also ordered 14 fuel-cell trains to deliver by 2021. The vehicles are features by several innovations: clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage in batteries as well as intelligent management of traction power and available energy, combined with appropriate driver assistance systems.
Also read:
