Alstom’s hydrogen train Coradia iLint is the winner of the European Railway Award 2021. The train has been presented at InnoTrans 2016 for the first time, and currently offers transport services in Germany since 2018, while other states are exploring its benefits, carrying out trials.
The award was accepted, during an online ceremony, by Carmen Schwabl, the Managing Director of Lower Saxony State Transport Authority (LNVG). The authority placed the first order for Coradia iLint trains, a contract comprising the delivery of 14 hydrogen trains including the maintenance and energy supply for a period of 30 years.
“It is not a matter of course that a public authority triggers and accompanies a technological development of this scope. With our partners in the test phase, a real-world premiere in passenger service in Lower Saxony has been achieved. Our goal was to offer a true alternative to diesel, to make it market-ready and to use it in a first network in daily passenger operation,” Carmen Schwabl said.
The jury praised train’s outstanding cooperation between the project partners LNVG, Alstom, the Federal State of Lower Saxoy, Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH (evb), the gas and engineering company Linde. Alstom, together with its partners, has proven with the project that hydrogen propulsion is a reliable and emission-free alternative to diesel-powered regional trains on non-electrified lines.
From September 2018 to the end of February 2020, two pre-series Coradia iLint trains successfully covered more than 180,000 km in regular passenger service, running 530 days. Series production of this groundbreaking innovation for rail transport is currently in progress. The trains have successfully completed a year and a half of trial operation.
Serial production of this ground-breaking innovation for rail transport is currently underway. The first hydrogen-powered series trains will be in regular service in Germany from 2022 replacing the existing diesel multiple units of Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH (evb).
Share on:
