Cummins powers the world’s first hydrogen train carriages in Bremervörde, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Alstom Coradia iLint train (previous post) is equipped with a Cummins fuel cell system and will run on his 100% hydrogen rail passenger-operated route, a world first. The first zero-emission passenger train of 14 carriages arrived in midsummer.

The Coradia iLint train was developed by Alstom as an alternative to the traditional diesel train. They will be powered by a Cummins fuel cell system that converts hydrogen fuel into energy, transforming existing non-electrified infrastructure into a zero-emission railway line. The system allows trains to emit only steam and condensate during operation and operate quietly, improving comfort for both operators and passengers.

Cummins and Alstom successfully launched Germany’s first hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint train in 2018. Coradia iLint has also been successfully tested in Austria, Holland, Poland and Sweden.

The Lower Saxony-based train is the first full carriage in passenger service and is owned by Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG). Cummins will provide Alstom with an additional 54 fuel cell systems for an order for 27 Coradia iLint trains to be delivered to the Frankfurt metropolitan area.

The hydrogen fuel cell systems used on the trains will be assembled at Cummins’ Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems Production Center in Herten, Germany. The facility opened earlier this year, accelerating the adoption of hydrogen technology across Europe and the world.