For the first time, a fuel cell train drives in trial operation

on the Zollern Alb-Bahn will roll into regular operation for the first time from mid-July 2021. With the experience in real operation, alternative drives are to be further developed and their market maturity is to be improved.

For the first time in Baden-Württemberg, a hydrogen-powered train is going in regular operation-from mid-July 2021 on the Zollern-Alb-Bahn. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport is responsible for this, the vehicle manufacturer Alstom and the Südwestdeutsche Landesverund-AG (sweg) . The fuel cell vehicle from Type Alstom Coradia Ilint Replaced for the duration of trial operation by the end of February 2022 a train from the current diesel fleet of the SWEW. He will mainly drive on the Eyach - Hechingen or Hechingen - Gammertingen - Sigmaringen.

fuel cell as a modern answer to diesel locomotives

"With the experience in real operation, alternative drives can be further developed and their market maturity improved," said Baden-Württemberg Minister of Transport Minister Opening trip for invited guests and media representatives who led on Monday, July 12, 2021, from Hechingen to Gammertingen and back. Minister Hermann continues: “Modern mobility must be climate-friendly. The country has therefore created a comprehensive electrification concept for the train. Where electrification is not possible, railcars with fuel cell or battery electric cars are the modern response to diesel locomotives. Two good reasons why we are promoting new technologies: they are locally emission-free and the driving trolleys are noise-a plus for the plus- Local residents.

"Today we take an important step towards more sustainable mobility in the region together with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport and the SWEW," said Mueslüm Yakisan, President of Alstom in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "In the past three years we have gained extensive experience with the Coradia Ilint in scheduled operations, both in Germany and in other European countries. We are now pleased to bring this knowledge into the trial operation on the Zollern-ALB railways and to offer passengers a new driving comfort-reliably and, above all, completely emission-free.

The Coradia Ilint must prove its suitability for everyday use in both warm and cold season. The demanding topography of the Schwäbische Alb with its inclines is a challenge. An external expert will accompany the project in order to be able to use the knowledge for the further development and business optimization of the train.

range up to 1,000 kilometers

Actually, the trial operation should start on May 1, 2021. The shift to mid -July 2021 was due to the originally planned hydrogen supplier. With Air Liquide In the meantime, an alternative provider has been found for the project with green hydrogen and the mobile water meter at the State of the State Railway Hechingen. "Due to its versatility, hydrogen is a key element of the energy and traffic transition," says Frédéric Minaud, Director Hydrogen Energy for Central Europe at Air Liquide. "With our know-how, we are proud to make a significant contribution to the realization of hydrogen mobility on the rail."

The Coradia Ilint from Alstom enables quiet and completely emission -free mobility because it only releases water, mainly in the form of water vapor. In addition to two fuel cells that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, it has batteries that store the energy that arises during brakes. With this climate -friendly technology, routes on which the construction of overhead lines is too difficult or too long can be used even more environmentally friendly. A fully tanked Coradia Ilint has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.

First special trip in early 2019

In January 2019, the SWEW tested the Coradia Ilint on a unique special trip from Offenburg to Freudenstadt-it was the first use of this train in Baden-Württemberg. Previously, the supervisory board and the board of the SWEW had been traveling in Lower Saxony in October 2018, where the vehicle Stand Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsbetrieb Elbe-Weser GmbH (EVB) is Since September 2018 in line traffic in the Weser-Egg network.

SWEG is a company based in Lahr/Schwarzwald that operates city and long-distance bus traffic as well as rail goods and rail passenger transport in Baden-Württemberg and some neighboring areas. In 2018 the merger of Hohenzollerische Landesbahn (HZL) , based in Hechingen, to the Südwestdeutsche Landesvergs-AG. More than 1,300 employees work on Sweg.