Hydrogen trains in Germany stopped after two weeks of operation They don't have enough hydrogen
The launch of hydrogen trains on another German line did not go very well. Train operations were halted after two weeks due to a lack of hydrogen to power them. The trains were supposed to temporarily rely on hydrogen deliveries by trucks, but the supplier company failed to secure enough hydrogen for full operation.
Trains on the line between Berlin and Groß Schönebeck lasted only two weeks in operation. Their operation, which started only in mid-December, was not endangered by technical problems, but by a lack of fuel for their operation. The train operator now expects that the situation should start to improve this week, but it's not a good sign for the operation of trains with alternative propulsion.
The Heidekrautbahn line, whose history dates back to 1901, was supposed to be one of the lines in Germany that would gradually transition to renewable sources in the form of locomotives powered by battery cells and hydrogen. However, shortly after the launch of the two-car hydrogen trains Siemens Mireo Plus H, the operator is facing the first problems.
According to them, the operation is limited due to problems with hydrogen deliveries from the company Enertrag. According to the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association, which operates the trains on the route, this is only a situation caused by the Christmas holidays. It was at this time that it turned out to be impossible to deliver enough fuel to the region for these trains, so they had to be sidelined and replaced either by diesel trains or those with battery cells.
There have been difficulties with the transition to emission-free rail transport in the project from the start of hydrogen trains. Due to the non-delivery of hydrogen dispensers, the gas station in Basdorf, where the trains were originally supposed to refuel hydrogen, could not be operational from the start. That is why an agreement was reached with the company Enertrag, which was to temporarily ensure the refueling of trains directly from trucks. Although such a way of refueling trains is more time-consuming and demanding than it would be with gas stations, it had to be temporarily used until the new refueling dispensers were completed. However, problems with the supply of hydrogen have now completely stopped the trains.
