Some implementations in Europe

Most European countries have a higher percentage of electrified line than Britain, but still face similar decarbonisation issues. Switzerland is the only country with fully electrified track. Most other countries have track electrification projects, but this is very costly and would take decades to complete. So at the same time they are planning, with varying degrees of urgency, to replace diesel trains with electric ones. Most of the train suppliers in Britain also serve continental countries, and all are likewise overhauling their train models to do this.

Austria

Currently, some 3,500 km of the 4,865 route km (some 73%) of Austria's rail network is electrified, and the 2017 decarbonisation plan (in German), aims for 85% by 2030 and 89% by 2035. At the same time, battery and hydrogen alternatives will be introduced on unelectrified lines, so that diesel trains can be withdrawn from the entire network by 2030. The latest investment plan plans 500km of track to be electrified by 2030, with investments in electricity from hydro and solar.

The battery-driven Siemens Cityjet Desiro ML Eco has been on trial in Lower Austria and Styria since 2019; range 80km, top speed 120kph on battery (further details here and here).

As for hydrogen, the Coradia iLint (see Germany below) is being tested on more demanding lines around Wiener Neustadt in autumn 2020.

The narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn has ordered 5 units from Stadler to replace its aging diesel locomotives, due to be operational by end 2022. The hydrogen will be locally produced, using the Zillertal's existing hydro-electric plant (some 30% of Austria's total capacity).

(Stadler is also building FLIRT H2 for San Berdardino in California, max speed 130kph.)

Denmark

Manufacturers are being invited to test battery-powered trains on 2 lines in Denmark in 2020-1, with a view to them entering service in 2025.

France

The SNCF have long run electro-diesel bi-modes in their regional trains, but are now committing to replacing all diesel power by 2035 (PlaneTER (in French)).

• testing of Alstom Régiolis with additional batteries continues, with a view to full implementation in 2023
• 5 existing Bombardier bi-modes are being converted to battery-electric, with a range of 80km; rollout in 2023
• a first order of 11 hydrogen-electric Alstom's Coradia Polyvalent has been placed, with roll-out from 2025.

Germany

As of 2020, 20,365 of 33,286km (61%) of Germany's track was electrified, and the plan is for this to rise to 70% by 2025. This will still leave some 10,000km of unelectrified track, but the new government is keen to decrease this.

• Stadler Flirt Akkus. Range of up to 150km. Batteries from Intilion.
  • Schleswig-Holstein have ordered 55: five pre-series trains from November 2022, with the remainder to enter service from May 2023 to mid-2024. New charging points will also be installed where overhead lines are not available.
  • In Rheinland Pfalz 44 deliveries between December 2025 and end 2026. €50m will be spent to install overhead electric ‘islands’
• Rhein Ruhr (VRR) and Westfalen-Lippe have ordered 63 CAF Civity, delivery 2025-8
• Siemens Mireo Plus B trains, with a range of >90km and a top speed of 160kph
  • 20 have been ordered for part of the Ortenau network in Baden-Württemberg (N part of Black Forest), 80km range as 2-car, 120km as 3-car, delivery by June 2023. A further three will run on the new Hermann-Hesse-Bahn between Renningen and Calw from 2023
  • The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn has also ordered 31 Mireo Plus Bs for the unelectrified lines in their network to the N and E of Berlin, delivery from 2024.
• Two trials of the hydrogen version of this, the Mireo Plus H, with a range of up to 600 km as a two-part train, and from 800 to 1,000 km as a three-part train, are scheduled:
  • a 30-month one around Augsburg from mid-2023
  • a year-long one in 2024, based in Tubingen, along with production of green hydrogen.
• The 12-month trial in Alb-Bodensee (S part of Black Forest) of Bombardier's Talent 3, a collaboration with the Berlin Technical University with partial funding by the Federal Government, was originally planned for 2019, but delayed. Bombardier was acquired by Alstom in 2021, with the Talent 3 programme transferred to CAF. But Alstom is completing these trials in 2022. They are fitting the technology to the Coradia Continental, and Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen have ordered 11 units for use on the Chemnitz-Leipzig line, delivery from 2023, up to 120km range, charging time 30 mins.
• Alstom's hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint has acquired much publicity, being operational on the Elbe-Weser network (west of Hamburg) since 2018, with a top speed of 140kph. 22 further units are ordered for those lines, with delivery from 2022, and Alstom has a further order of 27 for the Taunus network (north-west of Frankfurt), also with delivery from 2022. For the latter, the plan is to use by-products from the chemical industry in Hoechst. The hydrogen for Elbe-Weser is provided by Linde, and the plan is for it to eventually be produced from local wind turbines.

Hungary

MAV-Start have issued a call for tender for battery-powered trains in Hungary; range up to 80km at a speed of 100 km/h.

Ireland

Iarnród Éireann has ordered 13 battery-electric Alstom trains for use on its Dublin-Drogheda service from 2025; battery range over 80km, with recharge time under 20 minutes.

Italy

• Ferrovie Nord Milano has ordered 6 hydrogen-powered Alstom Coradia Streams, with an option for 8 more, delivery starting in 2022.
• FS and SNAM are also cooperating with Alstom to evaluate hydrogen-powered trains, with the aim of rapidly converting trains currently powered by diesel.

Netherlands

• following successful testing, Groningen is planning to replace diesel with the Alstom iLint, delivery 2021-4.
• Friesland originally hoped to fully batterify their trains by 2025, but have now postponed this to 2035, or earlier if possible. Concession holder Arriva will however from 2021 be using 18 Stadler Winks, running partially on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a biodiesel powering batteries.

Portugal

• a main thrust of the PNI2030 National Investment Plan is a programme of electrification (Annex A.1, F5)
• CP have ordered Stadler Flirt bi-modes, initially running on diesel, but with the option of later converting to battery.

Spain

• CAF is leading the EU-funded FCH2RAIL project, developing a hydrogen-powered version of their Civia trains, for use from 2024 in Spain, Portugal and another as yet unnamed country
• Talgo has announced its Vittal-One hydrogen-powered train, available from 2023.