Alstom’s Hydrogen Retreat Marks A Turning Point For European Rail - CleanTechnica

Alstom, a key player in European rail innovation, has announced a pause in further development of hydrogen trains, marking a significant turning point for the technology’s future in rail decarbonization. While the company will complete existing hydrogen train orders, it has halted R&D after France withdrew national co-funding linked to an EU Important Project of Common European Interest. Alstom is reallocating hydrogen engineering staff to other projects and acknowledges that hydrogen train technology is not mature and unlikely to reach full viability given the time and investment already spent. This decision reflects a broader reassessment of hydrogen rail’s real-world performance, market demand, and economic feasibility. Hydrogen trains were initially promoted as a promising solution to decarbonize non-electrified regional rail routes without the high costs of installing overhead electric lines. The concept hinged on producing hydrogen from surplus renewable energy and using it as a clean, flexible diesel replacement with minimal infrastructure changes. Early prototypes like Alstom’s Coradia iLint generated optimism