Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility premiered elements of their newly developed Mireo Plus H, next-generation hydrogen-powered train, and a newly designed mobile hydrogen storage trailer system at the Siemens plant in Krefeld, Germany.

The train and its new infrastructure are intended to replace diesel trains in commuter and regional transport and reduce rail-related CO2 emissions to zero.

The Mireo Plus H is a development for the ‘H2goesRail’ project. The project is being funded as part of Germany’s National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) with €13.74 million by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

“In its coalition agreement, the federal government agreed to electrify 75% of the country’s rail network by 2030,” said Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary in the BMDV. “Here, alternative drives can help reduce emissions from diesel rail transport. This way, we’ll be able to operate virtually climate-neutral on rail routes where full electrification is not possible. The H2goesRail project will not only test the use of hydrogen for rail, but substantially advance the technology.”

“The Mireo Plus H enables climate-friendly and emission-free passenger transport,” commented Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility. “With the Mireo Plus H, we’ve developed the next generation of hydrogen-powered trains that offers a particularly long operating range and faster acceleration. Each delivered train can save up to 45,000 tons of CO2 over its service life of 30 years compared to corresponding travel with cars.”