Italy’s First Hydrogen Train Will Run In Lombardy

The first Italian hydrogen train was presented today in Milan and will begin operating in Lombardy within a year.

The Alstom-built train is equipped with hydrogen fuel cells that guarantee emissions-free transportation, has a range of 600 kilometers, and can carry 260 people.

The train will actually be launched between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 on the Valcamonica route in the province of Brescia and will connect the provincial capital with Iseo and Edolo, an important access point to various mountain tourist resorts in the region.

The line therefore has great importance for tourism, as well as for local public transport. Hydrogen trains should replace old diesel locomotives. This type of transport is beginning to spread on non-electrified smaller lines. Trains of this type have already been running in Germany since 2022, although in that case some reliability issues were discovered.

“This is an important day not only for Lombardy, but for all of Italy: we are celebrating a project that will be a pioneer for the entire country,” explained Franco Lucente, Minister of Transport for the Lombardy Region. “Investing in hydrogen demonstrates that the goal of technological neutrality is strategic for our region: we will completely renew our rail fleet with clean, low-emission trains by 2025. A commitment to a green approach must include a variety of solutions, from electric to hydrogen.”

The agreement between FNM (Ferrovie Nord Milano) and Alstom provides for the supply of six hydrogen fuel cell trains to Trenord (the Lombardy railway operator) with the possibility of installing a further eight.