Alstom said the unvalued deal included engineering, product, and support capabilities used in its existing hydrogen train fleets.

No word was given on whether the acquisition included fuel cell manufacturing capabilities, including Cummins’s manufacturing and assembly site in Herten, Germany. H2 View has contacted Alstom for confirmation.

Alstom Chief Operating Officer, Danny Di Perna, said the deal would allow the company to support maintenance for its installed fleet and conclude contracted programmes in Germany, Italy, and France.

The train manufacturer has been developing hydrogen fuel cell-powered trains since the late 2010s. It has piloted its trains in France, Austria, Canada, and the Netherlands. It has made commercial deliveries in Germany. The firm is due to deploy six units in Italy this year.

However, in 2025, the firm said it had paused further hydrogen train R&D expansion due to funding and technology maturity challenges.

In 2024, it also had to recall its largest hydrogen train fleet in Germany after reliability issues with key components.

Hydrogen’s use in rail is viewed as limited, with large portions of major rail networks already electrified. However, Alstom said the fuel would remain an “important solution” to replace diesel trains on “long-haul, non-electrified lines.”

The deal comes after Cummins announced it would stop all new sales activities related to its electrolyser business after running up $458m in charges within the unit, citing weak customer demand and uncertainty around incentives.

With Cummins scaling back parts of its hydrogen business, the acquisition appears partly defensive, allowing Alstom to secure fuel cell capabilities and avoid being left with stranded technology in existing fleets.