Italian rail operator orders hydrogen trains from Alstom

Italian rail operator orders hydrogen trains from Alstom

Ferrovie Nord Milano, an Italian rail operator, has ordered six hydrogen fuel cell trains from Alstom with the option to increase the order to eight. It is the first order for hydrogen trains in Italy, reports Railway Supply magazine citing the manufacturer’s website.

The order is valued at around 160 million euros, with the first train to be delivered within three years.

The new hydrogen trains will be built on the Alstom Coradia Stream regional railway platform, which is already being produced for Italy at Alstom’s Italian facilities.

The hydrogen-powered Coradia Stream for FNM will feature the same fuel cell propulsion technology that was showcased at the Coradia iLint currently operating in Germany, and Alstom says the hydrogen version will match the performance of diesel trains, including their range.

The order came after Alstom and energy infrastructure company Snam signed a five-year agreement in June to develop hydrogen trains in Italy.

“We are immensely proud to introduce hydrogen train technology in Italy and we recognize the trust placed in us by our Italian customer,” says Gian Luca Erbacci, Senior Vice President, Alstom Europe.

In November 2010, FNM’s subsidiary Ferrovienord signed a € 194 million contract with Alstom to supply 31 Coradia Stream regional trains to operate in the Lombardy region of Italy. Project development, most of the production and certification is carried out at the Alstom plant in Savigliano, and the on-board alarm systems are manufactured at the plant in Bologna.

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