Alstom and Calw district in Germany sign a letter of intent on the development of a zero emission train

Alstom representatives and Helmut Riegger, District Administrator of Calw, signed a letter of intent for the planned use of new emission-free fuel cell drive trains on the Hermann-Hesse railway line. This line is set to improve access to the Black Forest and make it become a nearby area of relaxation.

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Coradia regional trains for various operators, manufactured by Alstom in Salzgitter
© Alstom Transport/ B. Rosenthal

The new trains for Hermann-Hesse railway line will be completely emission-free. In times of increasing energy costs and higher level of pollution, the development of this technology is essential. Alstom is proud that the district of Calw is supporting and sharing the companys vision of the railway transportation of the future, says Dr. Martin Lange, managing director of Alstom Transport in Germany.

Emission-free trains simply fit in better in the natural environment of the Black Forest, states Helmut Riegger.

This new train generation is based on the Alstom Coradia platform. In addition to being completely emission-free, the train consumes less energy, thanks to the use of an intelligent energy management system, and its noise level is drastically reduced compared to conventional diesel trains Moreover, it is equipped with fuel cell drive a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction a proven technology used on the automotive industry.

The trains are developed and will be manufactured in Salzgitter, Alstoms competence centre for regional trains (EMU & DMU) in Germany. 

In September 2014, Alstom already signed four letters of intent with the German Landers of Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg for the use of this new generation of emission-free train.