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Alstom is proud to be the leading provider of regional fuel-cell trains, such as the Coradia iLint currently in commercial service in Germany. We caught up with Stefano Bavaglia, Alstom's Product Director for Coradia Stream single-deck solutions, for an overview on the Italian market.
In Italy, leveraging on the experience of Coradia iLint, we have applied hydrogen traction technology to a Coradia Stream electrical train. Our goal was to maximise the synergies of a proven technology with a proven train, while increasing train capacity in order to meet the Italian customer’s needs. The two trains have a different architecture, nevertheless the technology has been easily transferred and adapted. For the Coradia Stream, we have used the power-car configuration where we have concentrated most of the hydrogen equipment.
With the hydrogen power-car, it has been possible to exploit the Coradia Stream platform’s flexibility, selecting a four-car configuration solution as the product base. Capacity was a key requirement for the Italian project; we now have options of up to 300 seats. With this set-up, we can also add more modules and make the train even longer, if needed.
In the end, Alstom hydrogen technology is a basis for developing mobility solutions fit for the future, as we have shown with this Italian project.
Italy still has many non-electrified lines, and the Italian operator FNM also operates many lines serving mountainous areas. FNM was looking for a sustainable solution, and hydrogen proved to be the better option mainly because of weight and range benefits. The customer had seen the Coradia iLint pre-serial trains in operation in Germany, and they wanted to have a product that was already developed with a proven track record.
In addition, the Lombardia Region and FNM applied a systemic approach to the geographical area where the Coradia Stream hydrogen train will operate. They are aiming to develop hydrogen distribution and usage, creating the so-called “Hydrogen Valley”. So the train will, in addition, be a fundamental element supporting the on-going switch from carbon fossil fuels to hydrogen in that area.
The Coradia Stream hydrogen train will also serve the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, showing that mobility solutions fit for the future are possible where there is a clear mandate, as in the Lombardia Region, to decarbonise transport.
Italy has 16,000 kms of railway, of which 4,700 kms are non-electrified (28%). Therefore, Alstom is developing a bi-mode solution to allow service on both fully and partially non-electrified lines. Many regions are showing interest in this solution; the Infrastructure Ministry has also allowed Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan to be used for the decarbonisation of railway lines, in order to achieve the European goal of decarbonising the transport sector by 2030. According to current estimations, one in five trains in Europe will run with hydrogen traction by 2030.
Mainly it was because the Italian customer needed increased capacity which the Coradia Stream four-car configuration could offer. On top of that, FNM already had Coradia Stream EMUs, including the four-car configuration, so the new train will fit perfectly with the existing customer fleet.
When you move from one product to the next, you benefit from the advantages of each product, for example, the capacity of the Coradia Stream combined with the traction technology of Coradia iLint. There is no competition between the two products, we are simply developing a full spectrum of solutions for the various needs.
Alstom (alstom.com) is proud to be the leading provider of regional fuel-cell trains. The Coradia iLint and the Coradia Stream are just the beginning. The good thing is that the technology is transferable, so it is not limited to a certain kind of train or application. We have already extended the technology to commuter trains. Now, we are working on how to transfer the technology to different products, for example shunting locomotives or mainline trains. We are also looking at projects in the refurbishment sector, as hydrogen can be a solution to decarbonise existing trains with many years of life left in them.
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