Yesterday, Tuesday, 3 October, Alstom and the Italian sustainable mobility group Ferrovie Nord Milano (FNM) jointly presented an Alstom hydrogen-powered Coradia Stream train.
Yesterday's launch at EXPO Ferroviaria 2023 follows an agreement signed in November 2020 for Alstom to supply six hydrogen fuel cell trains to Trenord with an option for an additional eight. These are set to that mark the start of a new era in passenger transport on Italy's railways.
After a period of testing, the new train will enter commercial service within Italy's first Hydrogen Valley, which is located in Valcamonica on the Brescia-Iseo-Edolo line, around the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.
The hydrogen-powered Coradia Stream is Italy's first zero direct CO2 emission train equipped with hydrogen fuel cells, and will meet the European goal of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. It has a total capacity of 260 seats and a range of over 600 km.
The Brescia-Iseo-Edolo line of FERROVIENORD was chosen for the trial as it is non-electrified. The train service is operated by Trenord as part of the H2iseO project, which is designed to create the area around Brescia as Italy's first Hydrogen Valley.
Present at the launch were Sen. Matteo Salvini, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Sen. Alessandro Morelli, and the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Lombardy Region, along with Councillors Franco Lucente (Transport and Sustainable Mobility), Claudia Maria Terzi (Infrastructure and Public Works). Others speaking at the launch included FNM President Andrea Gibelli, FERROVIENORD President Fulvio Caradonna, Trenord President Federica Santini, Trenord CEO and FNM General Manager Marco Piuri, Alstom President of Europe Region Gian Luca Erbacci, and Alstom Italy General Manager and President and CEO of Alstom Ferroviaria, Michele Viale.
Alstom's partner, FNM, is Italy's the second-largest railway company and operates mainly in the northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont and in Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland.
