Dutch province abandons plan to run hydrogen-powered trains: reports
Source：hydrogeninsight
The northeastern Dutch province of Groningen has reportedly dropped plans to install hydrogen-powered trains on one of its non-electrified rail lines, nearly two years after failing to attract a single bid for its H2 train tender.
Instead, the province has decided to opt for battery-electric locomotives to achieve its goal of operating zero-emissions trains only in Groningen by 2035, according to reports in the International Rail Journal.
The province first conducted a trial operation of an H2-powered train in 2020, testing a Coradia iLint train manufactured by the French company Alstom. The trial was hailed as a success, having met the criteria to run on the Dutch railway network.
Provincial officials subsequently put out a tender in November 2022 for four H2-powered trains to run on the non-electrified rail network between port city Delfzijl and the town of Veendam.
However, as Hydrogen Insight reported in 2024, the tender did not receive any bids from train manufacturers.
A provincial government spokesperson previously told Hydrogen Insight that a study it had conducted in 2018 found that “both full and partial electrification will be more expensive than the hydrogen variant.
“In addition, the electrification of the railway lines (fully or not) takes a very long time. As a result, passengers will have to deal with long shutdowns of the lines.”
Nevertheless, the province is now reportedly looking for subsidies to help fund its new fleet of battery trains.
Hydrogen Insight has reached out to the province of Groningen for further information.