H2goesRail – a joint project with DB

With hydrogen drive systems, the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen produces electrical energy and water as a „waste product“. These trains can be deployed by DB as a way to become climate-neutral and replace diesel vehicles with alternative drive systems. Green electricity is used to produce the environmentally friendly green hydrogen. DB Energie is responsible for its supply.

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Siemens is developing a two-car commuter train with a state-of-the-art hydrogen drive system for one-year trial operation. It consists of a fuel cell and a lithium-ion battery. The Mireo Plus H will be as powerful as electric multiple-unit trains and have a range of 600 kilometers – depending on operating conditions such as the season or the route. A three-car version will have a range of 1000 kilometers. Low life-cycle costs due to low maintenance and repair costs and a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour are the vehicle's distinguishing features.

The hydrogen is produced by electrolysis in a DB Energie mobile filling station at the DB Regio plant in Tübingen. In the so-called electrolyzer, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen by means of electricity. Compressed in a compressor, the hydrogen is stored in a mobile storage unit. Prior to the refueling process, the green fuel is processed and cooled in the adjacent tank trailer. The mobile structure makes further test projects possible. DB Energie develops, tests and optimizes the necessary hydrogen infrastructure.

The train is refueled with hydrogen in a novel process: for the first time, it won’t take longer than the 15 minutes required to refuel a diesel multiple unit. This is an important factor considering the closely timed schedules of DB’s regional train services. This means that hydrogen technology is competitive with the diesel fuel used in everyday operations to date.

The DB Regio workshop in Ulm will be converted for the maintenance of hydrogen-powered trains. Extensively trained DB Regio staff who are supported by Siemens Mobility employees can then maintain the hydrogen train there.

Trial operation between Tübingen, Horb, and Pforzheim will begin in 2024 and last for one year. Approximately 120,000 kilometers of scheduled rail service are planned. The route is particularly suitable based on the timetable intervals and topography. The Mireo Plus H from Siemens will replace a diesel railcar used on this route and save about 330 tons of CO₂.