Siemens Mobility announced that the first Mireo Plus H hydrogen trains have received authorization for passenger operation and are ready to inaugurate passenger service. Their approval marks another significant milestone for emission-free mobility in the Berlin-Brandenburg and Bavarian regions, where hydrogen-powered trains will be used for the first time.

Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn Betriebsgesellschaft will operate seven Mireo Plus H hydrogen trains on the Heidekrautbahn line in Berlin-Brandenburg. These trains will save 1.1 million liters of diesel fuel per year and reduce CO₂ emissions by 3,000 tons.

Locally produced hydrogen will be used in the trains’ fuel cells, and water vapor will be the only emitted by-product. In addition, recovered braking energy will be used to further increase the trains’ energy efficiency.

The Mireo Plus H, named “Freistaat Bayern”, will replace diesel trains at Bayrische Regiobahn (BRB) for two and a half years. Test operations will begin in stages, starting with selected runs in the East Allgäu-Lechfeld network. Operations will later be expanded and the train will then also run on the Ammersee-Altmühltal network.

The new Mireo Plus H provides an environmentally friendly, quiet and efficient alternative to diesel propulsion, which is scheduled to be fully phased out in Bavaria’s regional rail system by 2040.

The Mireo Plus H has a long operating range of up to 1,200 kilometers, is powered by an H₂ traction system with a high drive power of 1.7 MW for accelerating up to 1.1 m/s², and has a top speed of 160 km/h.

In the state of Brandenburg, Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn Betriebsgesellschaft is launching a large fleet of Mireo Plus B battery trains on its East Brandenburg network. The 31 battery trains will enter service in phases by the summer of 2025. The two-car trainset has a range of more than 120 kilometers on batteries alone. Operation of the battery-electric Mireo Plus B trains will reduce consumption of diesel fuel by around 4.4 million liters a year on the East Brandenburg network.

The new trains will completely eliminate local CO₂ emissions and, depending on the electricity mix, reduce broader regional emissions by around 11,500 tons per year. At the same time, the trains will significantly reduce particulate emissions.