Alstom's Coradia iLint, the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell train, successfully completed three months of test operation on ÖBB’s (Austrian Federal Railways) regional lines. This comes just after it received approval from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (BMK) in October.

Austria is the second country in Europe, after Germany, to fully approve of the Coradia iLint as an emission-free alternative to diesel multiple units.

“We are immensely proud to confirm that the Coradia iLint has proven that it is suitable for all service routes — even on steep sections its performance is convincing. Not to mention our pride in the fact that the train has now received official approval in Austria,” said Gian Luca Erbacci, senior vice president of Alstom Europe. “I also congratulate ÖBB for being a pioneer in testing hydrogen technology on rail in Austria.”

During the three months of testing on four demanding routes in southern Lower Austria, Vienna, and eastern Styria, ÖBB and its passengers witnessed operability and performance of the new drive technology based on fuel cells — even on steep track sections and under the most varied climatic conditions. Following the successful operation in Austria, the data collected will now be analyzed to further advance the technology for the context.