Siemens & Deutsche Bahn Test Hydrogen Train & Fueling Station

Hydrogen trains are a particularly climate-friendly drive technology since they operate emission-free with green hydrogen and emit only water vapor. Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn presented the H2goesRail project to the public in November 2020. In addition to the refueling and commissioning tests conducted over recent months, DB employees have been trained to operate the system when it enters service. The Mireo Plus H developed for the H2goesRail project has a range of up to 800 kilometers, is as powerful as its electric multiple-unit counterpart, has 1.7 MW of traction power providing up to 1.1 meters per second acceleration, and a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour. One key factor needed to make hydrogen technology competitive with diesel fuel in daily operation is a fast refueling process. To provide this, DB has developed a new method that, for the first time, enables a hydrogen train to be refueled as fast as a diesel-powered train. This is especially important considering the closely timed scheduling of DB’s regional passenger service. Hydrogen for the trains will be produced in Tübingen by DB Energy with green electricity taken directly from the overhead power line. On the route between Tübingen and Pforzheim, for example, switching from diesel to the H2goesRail project train will save around 330 tons of CO2 emissions a year. In general, and depending on the route, the Mireo Plus H can save 520 tons of emissions per year (calculated on a total mileage of 200,000 kilometers). The Mireo Plus H will begin test runs in Baden-Württemberg in 2023. As of 2024, it will be underway in regular passenger service for the H2goesRail project, operating between Tübingen, Horb and Pforzheim and replacing a diesel railcar currently in use on that route.The joint funding project is officially called “H2goesRail”. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport BMDV is funding the project with over EUR 13 million through the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology NIP 2. NIP 2 is coordinated by NOW (National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) GmbH and is being implemented by project lead Jülich. For the project’s one-year trial operation, Siemens has developed a two-car regional train using a next-generation hydrogen drive system. The train operates with two propulsion systems, each consisting of a fuel cell and a lithium-ion battery. The Mireo Plus H is as powerful as an electric multiple-unit train and has a range of up to 800 kilometers – depending on operating conditions such as season or route. A three-car variant has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. Thanks to its reduced maintenance and repair costs, the train has low lifecycle costs. The Mireo Plus H has a top speed of 160 kilometers an hour.DB has developed, tested and optimized the related hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis at the DB maintenance depot in Tübingen using green electricity taken directly from the overhead power line. In the electrolyzer, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. After being compressed, the hydrogen is kept in a mobile storage unit. Prior to the refueling procedure, the green fuel is processed and cooled. The mobile system will enable DB to conduct further test projects on non-electrified rail routes. he train is refueled with hydrogen in an innovative procedure that, for the first time, takes no longer than tanking a diesel train. This is an especially important factor considering that DB’s commuter and regional trains operate on closely timed schedules. Thanks to this fast refueling process, hydrogen technology will be economically competitive with the diesel fuel currently in use.