In mid-September, Alstom completed the world’s first journey with a shunting locomotive converted from diesel to hydrogen drive in Salzgitter, Germany. But barely two months later, the French multinational, a global leader in rail transport, is pausing further development of hydrogen trains. According to Alstom, the main reasons for discontinuing or pausing the projects are the end of government subsidies and the technology’s lack of full maturity.

According to the French newspaper La Lettre, the discontinuation of French state subsidies is the main reason the subsidiary Alstom Hydrogen will cease operations, with its employees being transferred to other activities within the group.

Current orders will be honored

However, according to Alstom, current orders will be honored. Last summer, Germany launched its first hydrogen train line. The 14 Coradia iLint trains for the regional route in Lower Saxony between Cuxhaven and Buxtehude will still be delivered.

The same applies to the 12 trains ordered in France by four regions. Alstom also says it will continue to be committed to the maintenance and proper operation of the trains already sold, although that does not seem obvious.

New blow for the hydrogen sector

Alstom’s Coradia iLint is the world’s first hydrogen train. The train has fuel cells that convert hydrogen stored on the roof into electricity. The vehicle only emits steam and water. According to the French train manufacturer, the trains, with a range of 1,000 km, can run all day on just one tank of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is considered an alternative to diesel trains used in areas where the railways are not electrified. But despite the initial positive results, the development of hydrogen also seems to be a case of ‘keep the good news show running’, as more and more large companies are revising their hydrogen strategy. Last summer, for example, car giant Stellantis also pulled the plug, temporarily or otherwise, on the development of its hydrogen projects.

‘Technology is not yet fully mature’

In an interview with BFM Business, Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom, let slip that hydrogen technology “is not yet fully mature.” “Fuel cell performance is improving, but there is still progress to be made,” dixit the CEO.

In November 2024, Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen trains in the German state of Hesse had to be replaced by diesel trains due to a two-year series of technical problems with the fuel cells and other components.

The trains were returned to the factory for a complete overhaul of the “fault-prone technical components” to ensure long-term reliability. Alstom covered the costs of leasing the diesel trains.

In general, hydrogen trains are expensive to purchase, and operating costs are higher due to the costly and still-limited hydrogen infrastructure and the higher maintenance costs of the fuel cells. Some regions are therefore shifting preferences — for example, battery-powered trains are increasingly considered, especially for shorter-range or less-power-demand lines.

Whether Alstom’s decision has dealt the final blow to the hype surrounding hydrogen trains remains to be seen, but it is undoubtedly a serious setback. However, competitor Siemens is currently making significant progress with the Mireo Plus H, a hydrogen train developed in collaboration with Deutsche Bahn.

In Italy, too, particularly in Lombardy and Apulia (Puglia), several hydrogen train projects are currently underway. European and national funds are heavily financing the projects and are also aimed at building a complete “Hydrogen Valley” rather than just train routes, although orders for trains have also been placed with… Alstom.