The tests were undertaken at night without passengers, operating at up to 140km/h.
The trial followed an agreement signed in October 2019 between Alstom and the Groningen province, local operator Arriva, infrastructure manager ProRail and energy company Engie to test the vehicles in the Netherlands, the first such tests outside of Germany.
Independent testing, inspection and certification company Dekra Rail was appointed test leader.
“The tests in the Netherlands demonstrate how our hydrogen train is mature in terms of availability and reliability, providing the same performance as traditional regional trains but with the benefit of low noise and zero emissions,” says Alstom Benelux managing director, Mr Bernard Belvaux. “It is also easy to integrate into an existing fleet and is compliant with all safety regulations.”
The Dutch network has approximatively 1000km of non-electrified line, on which around 100 diesel trains currently operate daily.
Earlier this month, Alstom won a tender from Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) which called for the hire of two hydrogen-powered multiple units.
