Siemens CEO Dr. Roland Busch and Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn – together with Hartmut Höppner, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) – took the first ride in the Mireo Plus H hydrogen train, in what is described as a milestone for the ‘H2goesrail’ project, which was launched in November 2020.

A demonstration mobile refuelling event was held at the Siemens Test and Validation Centre in Wegberg-Wildenrath, North Rhine-Westphalia. In future, hydrogen will replace diesel-fuelled trains.

Busch said the Mireo Plus H train emits nothing but water, can travel up to 160kmh and offers a range of around 800-1,000km. Over a 30-year service lifetime, a single train will save up to 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Lutz said, “Hydrogen belongs to the future of mobility. Our goal is clear: we plan for Deutsche Bahn to  be climate neutral by 2040. And one key lever is bidding farewell to diesel fuel.”

Höppner said hydrogen technology has the potential to make sectors of mobility CO2-neutral.

He said, “We support the transfer from research and development to marketable products that is helping accelerate technological progress.”

The project is being funded with €13.74m by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.

The Mireo Plus H will begin test runs in Baden-Württemberg in 2023 ahead of regular passenger services in 2024.