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Press Release08 December 2023Siemens MobilityBerlin
First Hydrogen fleet at the Wildenrath test center
Following
the basic electrical and mechanical functions tested at the Krefeld plant,
further in-depth tests are now being carried out at the Wegberg-Wildenrath Test
and Validation Center (PCW). The extensive type tests being conducted here
include electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests and brake tests. As these
tests, required for official approval of the trains and their operational
stability, are conducted, the new trains will be prepared step by step
statically and dynamically for operation and ultimately drive their first
meters on their own. Final approval by the relevant rail authorities, including
the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and the German Federal Railway
Authority (EBA), will be granted only when all of these tests have been
successfully completed.
In addition, NEB’s train drivers will be trained on the new Mireo Plus H
at the Siemens Mobility test center starting in mid-2024 to ensure that the company’s
operating personnel is ready for deployment on the Heidekrautbahn as of
December 2024.
“Our first Mireo Plus H hydrogen
fleet left our plant in Krefeld right on time and will be thoroughly put
through its paces at our test center in Wegberg-Wildenrath,” said
Albrecht
Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock Siemens Mobility. “The Mireo Plus H is a
powerful hydrogen train that combines innovation with sustainability. Thanks to
its long range, fast acceleration, and state-of-the-art technologies, it will
set new standards for emission-free passenger transportation in the
Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region.”
“We’re especially pleased that we
are on schedule with the hydrogen trains,” said
Detlef Bröcker, CEO
Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB). “This gives our employees sufficient time
to familiarize themselves with the new trains and their innovative technology. Our
customers in the Berlin and Brandenburg region can look forward to boarding
new, environmentally friendly, hydrogen-powered trains on the Heidekrautbahn at
the end of next year.”
The train
manufacturer Siemens Mobility was commissioned by Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn in
2022 to deliver seven two-car
Mireo Plus H trains for the Heidekrautbahn network in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region. This
marked the first series order at Siemens Mobility for a train fleet employing
hydrogen technology. Progress is also being made on the order for 31
Mireo Plus B trains for the East Brandenburg network: The first
battery-powered train is scheduled to leave the Siemens plant in Krefeld in the
new year and will also be transferred to the Wildenrath center for final
testing.
The use of hydrogen-powered trains on
the Heidekrautbahn is part of a scientifically supported joint pilot project
funded by the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. The
project is focused on setting up a regional, sustainable hydrogen
infrastructure that also includes a hybrid power plant and a hydrogen storage
facility. The Heidekrautbahn will be the first rail network in the
Berlin-Brandenburg region operating hydrogen-powered trains for public
transport. Ultimately, all train operations on the RB27 route will be carried
out exclusively with green energy – renewable and regionally produced. The
switch from diesel fuel to hydrogen on the Heidekrautbahn will reduce annual CO2 emissions by around three million kilograms and save 1.1 million liters
of diesel.
The partners have created a joint website with information about the
hydrogen project, its stakeholders, and updates on the progress being made:
www.wasserstoffschiene-heidekrautbahn.de.
The project “Use of hydrogen fuel cell drives in local transport in the
Barnim district” is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digitalization and
Transport as part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
Technology. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by
lead partner Jülich.
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Siemens Mobility is a separately managed company of Siemens AG. As a leader in intelligent transport solutions for more than 175 years, Siemens Mobility is constantly innovating its portfolio. Its core areas include rolling stock, rail automation and electrification, a comprehensive software portfolio, turnkey systems as well as related services. With digital products and solutions, Siemens Mobility is enabling mobility operators worldwide to make infrastructure intelligent, increase value sustainably over the entire lifecycle, enhance passenger experience and guarantee availability. In fiscal year 2023, which ended on September 30, 2023, Siemens Mobility posted revenue of €10.5 billion and employed around 39,800 people worldwide. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/mobility
Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) provides local rail passenger mobility in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The roots of the more than 120-year-old, richly traditional company lie in the region and are at the same time both aspiration and motivation for ensuring environmentally friendly connections between cities and rural areas. Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn-AG owns and operates the Heidekrautbahn network to the north of Berlin and plans to reactivate the Heidekrautbahn mainline (RB28) by 2024. As a railway company, NEB Betriebsgesellschaft mbH operates eleven regional railway lines in the north and east of Brandenburg on behalf of the Verkehrsverbundes Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB). In 2021, Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn was again awarded the contract to operate the Ostbrandenburg network (NOB2) until 2036 and the Heidekrautbahn network until 2034. You can find further information at
www.NEB.de.