What’s So Special about Germany’s New Fleet of Trains?

Train travel doesn't contribute to carbon dioxide emissions nearly as much as flying – and far less than driving. In fact, rail travel is responsible for less than 1% of transport emissions. Yet there are always ways to make transportation more sustainable. Many countries are moving away from diesel and trying out electric trains powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

In Lower Saxony, Germany, the switch to zero-emissions trains is already underway, with a different approach. Five Coradia iLint hydrogen trains, constructed by the French company Alstom, took to the tracks last month. The first trains to be fully powered by hydrogen fuel cells, they are completely emission-free, releasing only steam and condensed water. Further boosting their sustainable credentials, the heat they generate is used for air conditioning.

The Coradia iLint is much quieter than its diesel predecessors and has immediately begun improving air quality. When the rest of the region's diesel fleet gets replaced by hydrogen power, it will prevent 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere each year. Lower Saxony (and eventually, all of Germany) ultimately plans to transition away from diesel completely, ultimately switching as many as 3,000 trains to hydrogen power.

Rolling towards sustainability: